Union Twp. man charged with attempted homicide in South Strabane shooting
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A view of Old Trails Cafe in South Strabane Township, where a shooting incident occurred in June
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A view of Old Trails Cafe in South Strabane Township, where a shooting incident occurred in June
A Union Township man was charged Monday with attempted homicide following a shooting in June in the parking lot of a South Strabane Township bar.
Police said David Christian Daugherty, 29, of 348 Mingo Church Road, fired multiple shots into a pickup truck occupied by Robert Sparks and Alyssa Wheeler, just before 12:45 a.m. June 10 in the Old Trails Cafe parking lot, 669 E. National Pike.
Witnesses told police Daugherty had been in his pickup truck in the parking lot, when another truck started kicking up gravel on Daugherty’s truck. Daugherty’s passenger, Noah Scholato, allegedly exited the truck and yelled, “Dave’s gonna shoot,” the criminal complaint said.
Several witnesses told police they heard a series of gunshots.
From five to eight feet away, Daugherty allegedly fired “at least seven bullets” that struck the pickup’s tailgate and a tool box that was in the bed of the truck on the passenger’s side, the complaint said. Police said neither Sparks nor Wheeler was injured during the incident, and they were able to flee the parking lot in their truck.
When police interviewed Scholato, he told them Daugherty wanted to go after the pair, but Scholato didn’t want to and asked to be taken home, the complaint said. Scholato told police Daugherty asked for the “back way” directions to his home so he could avoid police.
Scholato told police Daugherty had the .45-caliber handgun in a magnetic holster under his steering wheel. Daugherty allegedly told Scholato to tell police Daugherty was shooting in self-defense because the victims had a shotgun in their vehicle and they were going to run him over with their truck. However, Scholato told police neither of those scenarios was accurate and he “did not feel Daugherty’s life was in danger,” the complaint said.
Daugherty was charged by South Strabane Township police with two counts each of attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. He was also charged with one count of intimidation of a witness.
He was arraigned Monday morning by District Judge Jay Weller and was released on a recognizance bond. The conditions of the bond include no contact with the victims or witnesses, no access to firearms and the surrender of his permit to carry a weapon.
“We didn’t have any objections to a nonmonetary bond,” said Sgt. Ken Torboli, the investigating officer with South Strabane police. “We don’t think he is a threat to these folks.”
Daugherty’s preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10:45 a.m. Aug. 20.