By: Pittsburgh’s Action 4 News

MASONTOWN, Pa. — Four people, including a police officer, were injured in a shooting at a crowded district judge’s office, and the gunman was shot and killed by police, the Fayette County district attorney said Wednesday.

Authorities have not publicly named the shooter. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 has identified him as Patrick Shaun Dowdell, 61.

District Attorney Rich Bower said the man was carrying a handgun as he arrived at the Masontown municipal building, where he was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Dan Shimshock on assault and strangulation charges in a domestic incident.

Masontown police Sgt. Scott Miller engaged the man in the lobby and was shot, Bower said. Two men and a woman were also shot by the gunman as he entered the building.

TJ Endsley said he was inside with his mother when he saw a woman run through the door, screaming and with blood on her arm, as a man pointed a pistol and chased her. Endsley said he ducked for cover with his mother and was eventually able to hide with the woman.

“She was still bleeding,” Endsley said. “I took my belt off right away and wrapped it around her arm and sat by the desk with her, hoping that the shooter was not coming in the door.

“I was sitting there holding her arm, and I was like, ‘How did it happen?’ and she was like, ‘It was my husband.’ She was like, ‘This isn’t the first time he tried to kill me.”

Bower said the courtroom was full of people awaiting hearings on various matters. Shimshock was in the room, along with members of his staff, an assistant district attorney, several police officers, witnesses and defense attorneys.

“I put my head into my hands. I closed my eyes. I was praying, ‘Dear God, please don’t let this be my day.’ I was anticipating getting shot,” attorney Eric Randolph said. “I thought, ‘Where am I going to get shot? Is it going to be the head or the body?’ I looked back up and he was gone, so I presumed that he went back into the waiting area.”

A German Township police officer made his way to the lobby, fired at the shooter multiple times and killed him, Bower said.

All four victims were reported to be in fair condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital. State police Trooper Rob Broadwater said the injured officer was shot in the hand.

“The courtroom was very, very crowded. There were hundreds of people in there waiting to be serviced at 1 o’clock, and it was just a chaotic situation from the very beginning,” said Dr. Joyce Royster, who was among those in court when the shooting started.

State police were continuing to investigate, but Lt. Steve Dowlin said it was not believed that the judge or any members of his staff had been targeted by the gunman.

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