Another man wounded in Masontown shooting files federal suit for negligence
A Uniontown man filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against a Fayette County magistrate judge and the estate of a man who shot him there two years ago.
Scott A. Furlong Jr. said in his federal complaint that he was shot in the wrist about 2 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2018, at the Masontown office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. Shimshock when Patrick Dowdell opened fire there.
Three civilians and a Masontown Police sergeant were among those injured. A German Township police officer shot and killed 62-year-old Dowdell in response.
Furlong said in the lawsuit that he tried to seek safety in the men’s bathroom but was shot before he got there. He now has permanent nerve damage in his wrist, as well as post-traumatic stress sisorder, the complaint said.
The lawsuit includes claims for negligence against Shimshock; the borough of Masontown, and Roy A. Dowdell, who is the administrator of Patrick Dowdell’s estate, and alleges the defendants failed to implement proper security measures at the office.
A similar lawsuit was filed earlier this month by Jared Szerensci of Masontown, who was also injured in the shooting.
A message left with the Masontown solicitor was not immediately returned.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of "Death by Cyanide." She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
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