In a tragic and senseless act of violence, 19-year-old Steven Beachy, a male from Millersburg, Ohio, lost his life in a shooting that unfolded in State College, Pennsylvania. On the evening of January 24, 2019, Steven and his 61-year-old father, Dean Beachy, were at P.J. Harrigan's Bar and Grill. The two were in the area for a horse auction, a shared passion within their family.
Without any apparent motive or prior interaction, a 21-year-old man named Jordan Witmer from Benner Township,
opened fire inside the establishment. Witmer first shot a woman he was with, Nicole Abrino, before turning his gun on Dean Beachy, who was fatally wounded at the scene. He then shot Steven. Steven was critically injured and immediately transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center before being airlifted to UPMC Altoona, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, January 25, 2019.
Following the shooting at the bar, the gunman, Jordan Witmer, fled the scene. His violent spree continued when he crashed his vehicle and then forcibly entered a nearby home. There, he shot and killed 83-year-old George McCormick. After taking McCormick's life, Witmer turned the gun on himself, ending his own life.
The investigation into the tragic events revealed that Witmer had no prior criminal record and had a permit to carry the weapon he used. Law enforcement officials could find no connection or previous relationship between Witmer and the Beachy family, leading them to conclude that Steven and his father were innocent victims of a random and violent outburst. The community was left to mourn the loss of four lives in a single night of inexplicable violence.
