Pittsburgh Allegheny

Officials identify man killed in Edgewood explosion

Megan Guza
By Megan Guza
1 Min Read Sept. 18, 2019 | 6 years Ago
Go Ad-Free today

Authorities on Wednesday identified a man killed in a house explosion and fire last week in Edgewood.

John Evans, 59, was found in the rubble Saturday after fire crews put out the flames at the 318 Garland St. location.

Police have said all signs point to suicide.

A neighbor saw Evans standing outside the two-story home with a gas can minutes before the explosion happened around 2:30 p.m., according to Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne. He said Evans’ car was parked away from the house, and five apparent suicide notes were inside the car.

The explosion happened about 90 minutes before Evans’ daughter was scheduled to be married, Payne said, noting that Evans had “anger issues” and police had “encountered him” previously.

Investigators said Evans might have severed a natural gas line in his home and used gasoline to ignite the blaze.

A cause of death has not yet been released.

Share

Tags:

About the Writers

Push Notifications

Get news alerts first, right in your browser.

Enable Notifications

Content you may have missed

Enjoy TribLIVE, Uninterrupted.

Support our journalism and get an ad-free experience on all your devices.

  • TribLIVE AdFree Monthly

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Pay just $4.99 for your first month
  • TribLIVE AdFree Annually BEST VALUE

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Billed annually, $49.99 for the first year
    • Save 50% on your first year
Get Ad-Free Access Now View other subscription options