Lower Burrell fire company reschedules free movie after baby shower shooting

Lower Burrell’s No. 3 volunteer fire company canceled its free movie night Saturday after the shootings of three people at another city firehall.

Three guests were shot at a baby shower at Lower Burrell No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department in the city’s Kinloch section. That was about two hours before the free 8 p.m. screening Saturday of Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” in No. 3’s fire department’s parking lot along Leechburg Road.

No. 3 fire company has rescheduled the free movie, with free popcorn and shaved ice for Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.

“While the incident did not take place at LB3, full details were unavailable to us at the time,” the fire company posted on their social media sites.

No. 3 firefighters were preparing to screen the movie when they heard about the shootings at about 6:30 p.m., said Brennan Sites, assistant fire chief.

The Arnold man suspected of shooting three people during a family argument at a baby shower at the Kinloch station quickly surrendered to Lower Burrell police without incident, according to city Police Chief John Marhefka. The shooting victims did not sustain life-threatening injuries, he said.

At first, Sites and the other firefighters at No. 3 didn’t know who the victims were and if Kinloch firefighters were injured.

“We thought it would not be appropriate in any sense to have a joyful community celebration,” he said.

The shooting rocked the city, which is not known for violent incidents, Sites added.

It was also surprising that the shootings occurred at a fire department.

Fire departments are places where the community should and can feel safe, Sites said.