Victor Belmonte Jr. – 1980 Coraopolis Shootings
Background
Victor Belmonte Jr., age 23 at the time, was a quiet, introverted man from a close-knit family in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. After a difficult period involving a failed college experience and job loss, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He ultimately served in intelligence, achieving a high security clearance, with training in weapons and defensive military operations.
In spring 1980, his mother died of cancer. Shortly thereafter, Belmonte began exhibiting increasingly withdrawn and reclusive behavior. In July 1980, while at an Army camp (Fort Indiantown Gap), his mental state deteriorated significantly; he abruptly left the camp and made his way to Pittsburgh and then to his father’s home in Coraopolis.
Shooting Incident – July 20, 1980
On the morning of July 20, 1980, Belmonte, believing he was under attack by an “enemy,” armed himself—reportedly with a .35-caliber Marlin rifle—and took position on the third floor of his father’s house. From there, he opened fire on neighbors he had known all his life, killing four and wounding a fifth.
After the Shootings
Following the shootings, Belmonte placed his weapons by the front door in an orderly manner and left the home. He drove around aimlessly for about an hour before voluntarily going to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Carnegie at approximately 7:15 p.m. There, he calmly told officers: “I had just shot four people,” and later said, “We met the enemy at our position in Coraopolis.” He waived his Miranda rights and provided detailed, calm statements to investigators.
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