County Investigates Effort To Commit Western Psych Shooter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald is promising a full investigation following allegations that a county mental health employee refused to admit Western Psych killer John Shick for treatment.

Shick killed a Western Psych therapist and wounded five others before University of Pittsburgh Police killed him March 8th.

District Attorney Steve Zappala says it looks like a county mental health delegate went over a UPMC doctors head and refused to admit Shick to Western Psych for treatment two weeks before the shooting.

"If he is institutionalized, he's being treated properly, he's being medicated properly, is it possible this doesn't happen? Yeah – that possibility exists," Zappala said.

In a face-to-face meeting, Zappala asked County Executive Fitzgerald if he would take a close look at the county employee's decision.

"We need to make sure that the policies we have in place are proper," says Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald says he has staff members looking into the circumstances of the decision.

Meantime, UPMC sources tell the KDKA Investigators a number of security changes have been made at Western Psych since the shooting. Those changes include more undercover and uniformed security officers.

UPMC also has a security analyst looking at all policies and procedures.

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