On a Monday evening, just a little over two hours after being released from the Westmoreland County Prison, 28-year-old Edward J. Gorinski was shot and killed by a Pennsylvania state trooper in South Greensburg. His release from an 11-day stay in jail set in motion a tragic chain of events that would end his life. The male had a history of threatening behavior and mental illness.
Following his release, Gorinski broke into the home of an acquaintance in South Greensburg.
From there, he made threatening phone calls to his parents, which was a violation of a protection-from-abuse order they had against him. It was this same violation that had landed him in jail previously. While inside the residence, Gorinski also stole a. 22-caliber rifle.
A state trooper was dispatched to investigate the violation of the protection order and located Gorinski in the area. When the trooper activated his vehicle's lights and ordered him to stop, Gorinski fled on foot. The chase led them to the 1400 block of Broad Street, where a 39-year-old woman driving an SUV slowed down upon seeing the police activity. As she opened her driver's side door, Gorinski seized the opportunity and attempted to carjack her at gunpoint, ordering her out of the vehicle.
The trooper, who was about 20 yards away, ordered Gorinski to drop the rifle. Witnesses reported hearing the trooper give multiple verbal commands. When Gorinski did not comply, the trooper made a split-second decision, firing three shots and fatally wounding him. At least one of the bullets struck Gorinski in the torso. The woman in the vehicle and the trooper were not physically harmed during the incident. The trooper, a four-year veteran of the Greensburg barracks, was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting.
