2 dead in Ohio Township shooting
A 56-year-old man was shot and killed early Wednesday as he walked to his car outside his Ohio Township home, and another man — the suspect in the shooting — also died at the scene.
Allegheny County police said the shooting was reported about 5:30 a.m. at 132 Rebecca Drive. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the first victim as James Clayton Westover, who is listed as the owner of the home.
The second man was identified as Lex Miller, 62, of Pittsburgh.
Relatives of Mr. Westover, including children, were inside the house at the time and called 911. A neighbor also called authorities to report shots fired.
When police arrived, officers encountered Mr. Miller dressed in black with a gun. Police said he refused “multiple commands” to put the gun down. The suspect lifted his gun to fire and one officer shot at the man, police said. The suspect fell to the ground and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We can’t say for sure if the officer shot him at this point or if it’s a suicide,” county police Lt. Andrew Schurman said.
The medical examiner’s office will determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Officers found Mr. Westover lying in his driveway. He also died at the scene.
The relationship between the two was unclear.
Neighbor Joe Stipetic said he was already awake Wednesday morning when he heard three gunshots.
“The detective who was in here said there were a lot more, but I only heard three,” he said at his home across the street.
There was a pause between each
shot, he said: “It was boom … boom … boom.”
A pickup truck with several bullet holes in the driver’s side window was towed away about 11 a.m.
Mr. Westover’s family declined to comment.
Lee Markl, who lived next to Mr. Westover for several years, said he was “about as normal as you can be.”
“I always considered Jim to be a very nice guy,” Mr. Markl said. “It’s hard for me to imagine anyone being provoked by him.”
Mr. Westover had no criminal history in Pennsylvania except for a misdemeanor driving-under-the influence case in 1991, court records show. Mr. Westover and his wife bought their home on Rebecca Drive in 1999.
Mr. Markl thought Mr. Westover worked in industrial settings, perhaps installing insulation.
In the more than 30 years Mr. Markl has lived in the neighborhood, it has usually been quiet, he said, aside from an occasional domestic dispute, but not at the Westover house.
The dead-end road is lined with two-story houses with wide lawns and decks.
The Avonworth School District was placed on a two-hour delay due to the police activity. Rebecca Drive is near the Avonworth middle and high school campuses.
“It’s a damn shame this happened,” Mr. Markl said.