Captain charged with shooting & killing junior firefighter inside PA firehouse
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A 21-year-old man has been charged with criminal homicide after a teenage boy died of a gunshot wound inside a fire department Sunday in Redstone Township, Fayette County, state police said.
Officials with the Republic Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that the victim was a 16-year-old junior firefighter who was a sophomore at Brownsville Area High School. Officials have not released the victim’s name.Pennsylvania State Police said George A. Matis, 21, of Republic, was charged with criminal homicide in connection with the shooting. Matis was arraigned and taken to the Fayette County Jail pending a preliminary hearing.
Republic Volunteer Fire Company Facebook page
State police said Parker Hess was found by Redstone Township police after they received a report of a person with a gunshot wound inside the fire station on Republic Road at about 4 p.m. He suffered a face wound in the area of his left cheek and died at the scene, police said.
The suspect was identified as 21-year-old George Matis Jr., of Republic. State police said he was being held in the county jail, awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Matis and Hess were together in the business office when Matis “removed a Glock model 17.9 millimeter caliber pistol from a holster that he was wearing and caused the pistol to discharge a bullet in the direction of Hess,” police said in a criminal complaint.
NEW: Body of Jr Firefighter just removed from Republic Vol. Fire Dept in Redstone Twp in Fayette Co. pic.twitter.com/lY7UbEHuuK
— Ralph Iannotti (@IannottiRalph) November 28, 2016
According to state police, 21-year-old George A. Matis, Jr., of Republic, is facing criminal homicide and reckless endangerment charges. Matis is the captain at the Republic Volunteer Fire Department.
The criminal complaint says the teenager and Matis were in the business office of the fire department when Matis took a pistol from his holster and “caused the pistol to discharge a bullet” at the teen. The bullet struck him in his left cheek.
The victim’s body was removed from the shooting scene around 11:30 p.m., and there was a procession of fire apparatus accompanying the ambulance as the body was removed.
