In a tragic and senseless act of violence, 62-year-old Dean Beachy, a male from Millersburg, Ohio, lost his life on Thursday, January 24, 2019, in State College, Pennsylvania. He and his 19-year-old son, Steven, were victims of a random shooting at P.J. Harrigan's Bar and Grill, located next to the Ramada Hotel. The father and son were in the area to attend a horse auction, a testament to Dean's profession as a well-known auctioneer.
The evening took a horrifying turn when a 21-year-old
gunman, identified as Jordan Witmer of Benner Township, opened fire inside the establishment. Witmer, who was seated at the bar with a 21-year-old woman named Nicole Abrino, got up and walked over to the side of the bar where the Beachys were seated. He then pulled out a handgun and began shooting. Dean Beachy was fatally shot in the head and died at the scene. His son Steven was shot in the torso and tragically succumbed to his injuries the following day. Abrino was also shot and critically injured.
Following the shooting at the restaurant, Witmer fled in his vehicle, which he subsequently crashed. He then broke into a nearby home, where he shot and killed the 83-year-old homeowner, George McCormick. McCormick's wife was present but managed to hide and call for help. By the time police arrived, they found that Witmer had taken his own life.
The motive for the deadly rampage remains unclear, and it does not appear that the shooter had any prior connection to the Beachy family. Authorities described the shooting as an isolated incident and have not determined what precipitated the violent outburst. Jordan Witmer was reported to have been in the military and had a license to carry the small-caliber, semi-automatic handgun he used in the attacks. The community was left to mourn the loss of four lives in a single night of inexplicable violence.
