Montgomery County DA: Deadly Shooting Outside King Of Prussia LA Fitness Justified, No Criminal Charges To Be Filed
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) - The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office says a deadly shooting outside the LA Fitness in the King of Prussia Town Center last month was justified. Authorities say the shooter was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed 28-year-old Alan Jamal Womack Jr. after an argument on the basketball court spilled over into the parking lot.
The shooting happened Feb.28, just before 10 p.m. on the 200 block of Village Drive.
When officers arrived, they found Womack lying in the parking lot in front of LA Fitness. He died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Police say Womack accused the other man of a "traveling" foul and they began to argue. Womack threatened to shoot the other man in the head, investigators say.
The man then decided to quit the game. Surveillance video shows he left the gym and was followed by Womack.
Womack followed him, yelling at him, before pulling a Taurus 9mm handgun from his pocket, police said.
A witness told investigators Womack racked a round into the chamber, while getting within feet of the other man, who then pulled a 9mm Glock firearm from inside his backpack and fired one shot at Womack. As Womack was hit in the chest, Womack fired two shots, striking two parked cars.
Investigators say both men were licensed to carry concealed weapons.
"There is no doubt about who shot and killed Womack, so the legal issue to be analyzed is whether this was a justifiable killing. To be justified in his shooting of Womack, the shooter had to be in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. Evidence that would support a reasonable fear would include Womack's threatening words, his waiting outside of LA Fitness and following him through the parking lot, threatening him again, pulling out a gun, and racking a bullet into the chamber while approaching the other man," said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. "At no point in the encounter did the evidence reveal that the shooter provoked the decedent or raise the level of force. If he had, the self-defense claim would be invalidated. In fact, the shooter did just the opposite, trying several times to de-escalate the situation. For these reasons, I conclude that this was a justifiable shooting and therefore, no criminal charges are warranted against the shooter."