Man, Reported To Have Mental Health Issues, Is Shot And Killed While Trying To break Into Home Of Relative

SPRINGDALE TOWNSHIP, PA — A 39-year-old man lost his life last week when he attempted to break into one of his relative’s home in the middle of the morning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

There are reports that the man was mentally unwell, but that just makes the shooting all the more tragic.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports:

Allegheny County Police issued a news release Sunday afternoon explaining that the residents of the house on Butler Road had notified Allegheny County Emergency Dispatch that a home invasion “by a known person” was under way at about 10:05 a.m. and that shots had been fired.

Authorities have not publicly identified the deceased man, but neighbors confirmed that the shooting victim was Joseph Secora. Without naming Mr. Secora, police said that Mr. Secora’s motive for the home invasion is unknown, “however, it is believed [he] had mental health issues.”

No one has been charged with shooting him. Police did not identify who resides in the house that Mr. Secora was breaking into — the house where he was raised — but neighbors said his sister, Susan Cain, 54, lives there with her adult son, James. Recently, the siblings’ father, Paul Secora III, died. He had lived in the house prior to his death… Police said a resident of the home shot the intruder “during the invasion after breaking through a rear glass door and entering the home.”

Police also noted: “No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing.”

According to a neighbor, Joseph is the second Senora in the family to pass away by a firearm. Joseph’s older brother, Tommy, died when Joseph was an infant when he was accidentally shot with a shotgun.

I don’t know how bad things would be for someone to feel threatened by their own family — perhaps I am blessed to not know that kind of fear.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they sort out the aftermath.

What do you think about this story? Please share this on Facebook and Twitter and let us know!