On a tragic evening in State College, Pennsylvania, George M. McCormick, an 82-year-old male, lost his life in a senseless act of violence. The events of January 24, 2019, began at P.J. Harrigan's Bar & Grill where a 21-year-old man named Jordan Witmer opened fire, killing two individuals, Dean Beachy, 62, and his son, Steven Beachy, 19, and critically wounding a woman.
Following the initial shooting, Witmer fled the scene in his vehicle.
A short time later, he crashed his car in a residential neighborhood. It was then that he broke into the home of George and Joann McCormick. Inside, he fatally shot Mr. McCormick. In a moment of quick thinking, Joann McCormick was able to hide in a bathroom and call 911 for help. She was physically unharmed in the incident.
The perpetrator, Jordan Witmer, was found to have a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit for driving. The investigation into the horrific events concluded that Witmer did not have any relationship with the McCormicks. Authorities believe he chose their house at random after the car crash. Having brought tragedy to three families, Witmer then took his own life. The case was closed with the district attorney calling it a 'mass shooting with absolutely no sense to it at all.'
