4 killed in shooting at car wash in Melcroft, Pennsylvania
MELCROFT, Pa. -- At least four people were killed during a shooting at a car wash in suburban Pennsylvania on Sunday, state police said. The shooting at Ed's Car Wash took place shortly before 3 a.m. in the Melcroft community of Saltlick Township, about 55 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Police initially said five people were killed but later clarified that the suspect is on life support at a local hospital.
Police identified the victims as 27-year-old William Scott Porterfield, 25-year-old Chelsie Lou Cline, 21-year-old Seth William Cline and 23-year-old Courtney Sue Snyder. An unidentified adult female passenger was able to survive the shooting and suffered minor injuries from broken glass.
The shooter -- identified as 28-year-old Timothy Smith -- sustained a gunshot wound to the head and is not expected to survive. Police said the gunshot wound may have been self-inflicted.
Smith was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 9mm handgun and and possessed a 308 rifle, Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said. Smith wore a body armor carrier without the ballistic panels and had several magazines of for the AR-15 and 9mm, Bower added.
Family members of the victims told WPXI-TV the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute, and claimed the suspect used to date one of the victims.
Cayleigh Myers said she was friends with Seth Cline and described the construction worker as "very outgoing, very funny and very smart."
"You always had fun when you were around him," Myers told The Associated Press. "He would give his shirt off his back for you, anything, it didn't matter what it was, what time it was, if you need him, you could call him. He was everything."
Ed Bukovac, who owns the car wash, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that a neighbor called him around 4 a.m. Sunday and said something was wrong at his business. He said police were on the scene by the time he arrived.
State Trooper Robert Broadwater said two of the victims were found inside a pickup truck and two others were found outside in the car wash's parking lot.
Three vehicles were towed from the location. Two were pickup trucks -- including the one that two of the victims were found in -- and the other was a sedan.