Beaver County shooting leaves 2 dead, suspect in custody
NEW SEWICKLEY, Pa. (KDKA) - New Sewickley Township police said two women are dead after a shooting inside a home off Klein Road Saturday afternoon. A man is in custody facing criminal charges.
It started around 2 p.m. when Hailee Mahoney, 19, saw a man frantic at the top of a dead-end street off Klein Road in New Sewickley Township.
"On their phone, like running around, kind of just looking back and forth," Mahoney said.
Moments later, she heard gunshots.
"It startled me a little bit just because it was closer than normal," Mahoney said.
Andrew Cefaratti, who lives down the block, was also alarmed.
"Almost like a car backfiring or a lawn mower backfiring, just loud pops," Cerfaratti said.
Within minutes, law enforcement showed up, along with a SWAT team.
Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said police responded to a call that resulted in a SWAT and hostage situation. New Sewickley Township police said when their officers arrived, they encountered an armed and barricaded suspect and called for help from neighboring departments.
"We all were starting to get pretty nervous," Mahoney said. "I like, said to my parents, I'm like, 'I think something may be going on over there that's not good.'"
Eventually, Mahoney and her parents heard police on a loudspeaker.
"We heard them like telling them to like, get out and like, put your hands up," Mahoney said.
Then they heard a couple of shots fired, more calls on the speaker, and one last shot.
"It's crazy to know that something like this can happen so close to home," Cerfaratti said. "If there were bad people, then that's definitely a relief, but if one of them was innocent, or both of them are innocent, that's really heartbreaking."
A third woman inside the home was not injured.
Police released the identity of the suspect Sunday, saying Benjamin Selby is the man accused of shooting and killing the two women.
Selby remains in Beaver County Jail.