A June fatal shooting at a South Huntingdon party has been ruled a justified homicide, said District Attorney John Peck.
David J. Hoffman, 44, of Sewickley Township, was drunk when he fired a shotgun, hitting Michael Scott Brown, then 24, once in the leg, Peck said. Brown returned fire, killing Hoffman.
“It was our conclusion that this was a case where Brown is defending himself as well as the other people present,” the county’s top prosecutor said.
The Mendon Road party on June 6 and 7 was attended by about a dozen people, according to state police. Neither Hoffman nor Brown lived there. Peck said Hoffman and a woman left the party at some point and a domestic altercation occurred.
When the woman returned to the gathering, “she was upset, she had apparently suffered two black eyes,” Peck said. “Hoffman called the residence and said he was going to come back and shoot everybody there.”
Brown retrieved a handgun from a vehicle and a male resident of the home also got a firearm as they heard Hoffman’s truck coming back around 3 a.m. June 7.
A few adults and children went inside while the two men confronted Hoffman outside, Peck said.
The male resident fired a warning shot. Hoffman responded by firing his shotgun once.
“Then (Hoffman) fired a second shot, and he struck Michael Brown in the leg,” Peck said.
Brown then returned fire, hitting Hoffman five times. Hoffman’s blood-alcohol content was 0.207%, more than twice the legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania. Peck said it was a clear case of self defense and the defense of others at the party.
Witnesses gave statements consistent with what Brown and the resident told investigators. One person who was inside the home at the time and is knowledgeable about firearms told police the shotgun blasts came before the handgun was fired.
“We didn’t find Brown’s actions unreasonable,” Peck said.
Brown, who lived in Rostraver at the time, was hospitalized for treatment of his leg wound. A phone number for him could not be located. Relatives of Hoffman could not immediately be reached.
Hoffman worked as a welder and enjoyed farming, fishing and hunting, according to his obituary. He had one son.
