Joshua Logan had just finished a workout at Planet Fitness in East Huntingdon and was getting into his pickup truck to leave when the estranged husband of his girlfriend pulled up.
Within seconds, Logan testified Wednesday, Steven Heald was shooting at him.
A bullet hit him in the shoulder, spinning him around, Logan recalled during a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Heald. Two more shots hit him in the hip and buttocks as Logan ran to the front of his pickup, trying to escape.
As Heald, 38, of Connellsville, got out of his pickup and chased him, Logan recalled hearing two or three more gunshots while dashing to the front doors of the gym in an attempt to get away.
“I remember thinking, I didn’t get hit with that one, I didn’t feel that one,” Logan said.
Attempted homicide, aggravated assault and stalking charges against Heald were held for further prosecution Wednesday after a 50-minute preliminary hearing. He is accused of shooting Logan three times in a shopping plaza at 1 p.m. on Jan. 13 and beating him up.
Logan was taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville and he testified Wednesday wearing a sling on his right arm. A handgun state troopers believe was used in the shooting was found at the scene, which was steps away from the entrance to Planet Fitness in Crossroads Plaza, just off Route 119 and not far from Mt. Pleasant Borough.
That day, Logan, 45, said he strayed from his normal morning workout and instead went to the gym around noon. When he was leaving, Heald pulled up and said “You got a problem?” and used an expletive before opening fire from the driver’s seat, Logan said.
The attack continued as Logan said he was thrown to the ground feet from the gym’s entrance and pistol whipped and punched in the head 15 to 20 times by Heald. At some point, Heald lost control of the gun and Logan grabbed it.
“I was bleeding out and I said ‘You’re killing me’ and he said ‘Now you get it,’” Logan said, recalling the expletive-laced exchange.
Logan eventually was helped by gym patrons, at least one of whom was a nurse, and Heald left, driving to Connellsville where he turned himself in to police, according to Trooper Robert Politowski.
The two men had two face-to-face conversations and exchanged text messages during the past five months that Logan has been dating Heald’s estranged wife. During an interview with state police, Heald said Logan charged at him just before the shooting, Politowski testified. It was unclear how Heald knew Logan was at the gym. Logan testified that he didn’t tell anyone he was straying from his normal routine.
“(Heald) did not tell me how he knew, he just said that he went there looking for him and saw his truck,” Politowski said.
State police have surveillance video of the shooting and are working on getting another recording.
District Judge Charles Moore set a $500,000 bail for Heald. He has been at the Westmoreland County Prison without bail since his Jan. 13 arraignment.
Defense attorney James Crosby argued that Heald has no criminal record when asking for bail to be set.
Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer said Heald faces years of prison time if convicted and requested at least $500,000 bail. She asked that he be subject to pretrial services and electronic monitoring if bail is posted.
Logan said he underwent surgery and has a broken arm, nerve damage, cuts and scars from the beating. Police have praised the bystanders who helped him, which they said likely saved his life.
