Police: Man Shot Neighbors Because He Thought They Were Spying On Him
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HARRISON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – A woman and her teenage daughter were injured when they were shot by a neighbor in Harrison Township on Monday.
The shooting happened on Municipal Drive, in the Sheldon Park apartments around 9 p.m.
Police and the SWAT team were called and a standoff ensued. It ended when the suspect, 48-year-old Eddie Layne, was found dead inside a neighboring apartment.
Allegheny County Police say the two victims are a 41-year-old Satomi Finch and her 16-year-old daughter, Lilly.
An officer on routine patrol found the victims lying in the front yard of one of the apartments. Finch is a 10-year employee at Achieva, and her daughter is a student at Highlands High School.
"An officer was returning to the police station and saw two individuals lying in the front yard," Harrison Township Police Chief Michael Klein said.
Police say Layne, who was living next door, had mental problems and thought the woman and her daughter were spying on him.
"He seems like he's always had mental health problems and stuff," said neighbor Chelsea Shaner. "Always though someone was out to get him."
He used a shotgun to shoot both victims.
KDKA's Lisa Washington Reports:
Allegheny County SWAT was called after Layne ran back into his apartment and barricaded himself inside.
Also inside the apartment were Layne's ex-wife and his son. His ex-wife called police to report that he'd shot himself.
"They pulled both individuals away from the area to a safe area," said Chief Klein, "Subsequently, we recognized that a mother and a daughter were both shot by the neighbor."
Police say they don't know how Layne obtained the firearms.
Police say the mother is in critical condition, while her daughter is stable.
Meanwhile, the chief of the County Housing Authority said they are going to evict Layne's ex-wife.
She did not want to talk on camera on Tuesday, but she said she took in her ex-husband because he was homeless, and she admits that she owns the shotgun used in the shooting.
She'll be served with with a 10-day eviction notice. If the eviction is upheld in court, she could be banned from living in Housing Authority property for five years.
