In the early morning hours of February 26, 2020, a heated argument between a father and son inside a recreational vehicle in Harmar, a suburb of Pittsburgh, escalated to a tragic conclusion. The life of David Howard, a 47-year-old skilled tradesperson and avid outdoorsman, was cut short. Howard was a father to three children, Shane, Shiloh, and Samantha, and a grandfather.
He was remembered as a kind and caring man who loved to hunt, fish, ride dirt bikes, and spend time with his family and friends.
The events of that fatal night began after Shane Howard, then 22 years old, had an argument with his girlfriend. He went to his father's RV on Guys Run Road, where an initially calm conversation soured when the topic of Shane's girlfriend and their child arose. David Howard began to 'badmouth' the woman, which led to a physical altercation between the two men. Shane Howard struck his father in the head twice with a fire extinguisher, causing him to fall. Believing his father was reaching for a nearby rifle, Shane picked up a shotgun and shot his father in the back of the head.
After the shooting, Shane Howard fled the RV with both the shotgun and the rifle. He contacted a friend who, upon seeing blood on Shane's hands, convinced him to turn himself in to the authorities. At approximately 3:17 a.m., Shane Howard walked into the Harmar police station and confessed, stating, 'I accidentally killed my dad.' He was subsequently arrested and charged with homicide and tampering with physical evidence.
In December 2021, Shane Howard, then 25, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Following his plea, an Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge sentenced him to serve 10 to 20 years in a state prison for the death of his father.
