Advertisement Jury clears Upper St. Clair veteran who shot man to death in Washington Brandon Thomas claimed self-defense in shooting of Vaughn Simonelli Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A jury on Wednesday found an Army veteran from Upper St. Clair not guilty of homicide for the fatal shooting of another motorist in a Washington parking lot after a road-rage dispute.Washington County prosecutors contended that Brandon Thomas got out of his vehicle and purposely shot 55-year-old Vaughn Simonelli, of Chartiers Township, in the shoulder and back on Oct. 18, 2012, in the parking lot of a Shop 'n Save grocery store on West Beau Street.VIDEO: Watch Marcie Cipriani's report"There's more than one victim in this case. From my family to everyone else's, our condolences go out. I'm just glad justice was served," Thomas said after he was released from custody and hugged by family members.The defense said that the 32-year-old Thomas suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and only fired in self-defense after he was blocked in his parking space by Simonelli's vehicle, which witnesses say sped after Thomas' SUV after the men argued at a traffic light.Some witnesses testified that Thomas got out of his vehicle and shot Simonelli, while others supported Thomas' version that he shot from inside the vehicle as Simonelli threw a punch.Thomas was honorably discharged in 2009 after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received three Purple Hearts and a Medal of Valor. His lawyer said he had been getting letters of support from around the world as he waited for his day in court."We know Brandon. We know him as the man he is and a hero. It's very sad that another man lost his life. We are not happy about that on any level, but Brandon deserved to be treated as if he was innocent," said Thomas' mother, Leah Thomas.While the jury acquitted Thomas of homicide, they found him guilty of a drug possession charge.District Attorney Eugene Vittone said he respects the jury's verdict but does not agree with it. Simonelli's family declined to speak with reporters after the verdict.