Man Shot During Argument At Tattoo Parlor Dies
NEW KENSINGTON (KDKA) -- The man who was shot in the face during an argument at a tattoo parlor in Westmoreland County has died from his injuries.
The victim, 43-year-old Kevin Croney of Allegheny Township, passed away just after 8 a.m. at a local hospital. He was the owner of the True Image Tattoo Parlor in New Kensington.
According to New Kensington Police, Croney was shot in the face at close range during an argument in the rear of the tattoo parlor on Friday afternoon.
There's a makeshift memorial outside the shop now.
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Christopher Patterson of Vandergrift, was arrested at the scene.
"He's a very caring man. He cares about other people, and it was so awful to hear his news. Such a senseless tragedy," Judy McCausland, of Baldwin Township, said.
But, McCausland remembers him not for what most people think of about tattoos.
She is a breast cancer survivor and her plastic surgeon, Dr. James O'Toole, used Croney to finish her reconstruction.
"He was trying to find a tattoo artist to do nipple tattooing and he interviewed for months and then finally I got a call that he had hired Kevin," she said.
"When he finished the tattoo and they gave me a mirror to look at it, I smiled and he said, 'That's what makes it worth doing.' He said, 'I'm going to be doing even more of these and to help women out.' And he just seemed like a very caring man," McCausland said.
All she knows is that the tattoo artist from New Kensington, who she chatted with about his family and hers, helped her cope with her own life crisis in a positive way.
"It's been a long journey. It's been four years and really, he put the finishing touches and made me feel complete and I just can't say enough about him," she said.
Meanwhile, Patterson is in the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.
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