NORTH BEAVER (KDKA) – A man took his own life and a fire is under investigation after a troubling sequence of events in Lawrence County Sunday afternoon.

According to police, North Beaver Township firefighters responded to a fire in the 200-block of New Road around 2 p.m.

When the fire chief arrived at the scene, he found a man in the front yard with a gun who seemed to have his own agenda.

“The guy pointed the shotgun at him and told him to get away,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Harry Gustafson said.

Trooper Gustafson said after the man drew his weapon at first responders, they called police for backup. When police arrived, they ordered the man to drop his weapon.

Police said he then turned the gun on himself.

“It’s just a terrible thing, especially on Easter and I don’t know, I’m sure we’ll get through it as a family and it’s just heartbreaking for such a terrible thing to happen to us,” Lacey Hammond said.

Hammond said she knew the man, who as been identified as Ron Covert.

Covert dated her mother, Linda Scott for almost five years, but said their relationship was rocky and he had mental problems.

“I never thought he would go that far, but like I said, he was very sick,” Hammond said.

Scott had recently sought a protection from abuse order against Covert and didn’t know that he had gone to her home on Sunday.

Hammond said the family was having Easter dinner when they got the call that her mother’s home had gone up in flames and that her ex-boyfriend had committed suicide.

“In the past, she’s been trying to help him emotionally. She’s upset because she’s feeling like she didn’t do anything she could do, but I mean, what can you do?” Hammond said.

While state police have not said what exactly caused the fire, they are calling it suspicious and that the fire marshal is investigating.

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