PENN HILLS (KDKA) — Police in Penn Hills are not saying what caused a 58-year-old business owner to fatally shoot his son’s pregnant girlfriend, and then turn the gun on himself.

The victim, 26-year old Theresa Smith, lived with the alleged gunman, William Lieberth, and his son upstairs from the Allegheny Auto Shop on Verona Road.

The gunfire rang out early Friday afternoon.

KDKA’s Ralph Iannotti Reports:



Police say Smith was shot in the head in the driveway of the auto body business.

Penn Hills Police say after Smith was shot, Lieberth went to the back of the building and turned the gun on himself.

A man nearby said he heard two shots, saw Smith lying on the ground, and then he heard another shot coming from behind the building.

“I just heard two shots and the lady laying on the ground over there beside the building and the man ran around the building and shot himself in the head,” said the man who didn’t want to be identified. “But that’s about it. I ran outside to look, see what was going on.”

Madeline McCaskell, who runs a daycare center down the street from the shooting scene, said she was shocked by what happened.

“I only knew her because she would come down and get her children off the bus, off the school bus when it pulled up,” said McCaskell. “She would come down every day, we would have little small talk, then she would take her children, leave and go back home, she seemed to be a nice lady. It was a shock to me, unbelievable.”

Leiberth is in critical condition at Forbes Regional Hospital. The Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on Smith’s body Saturday.

KDKA’s Bob Allen Reports:



This isn’t the first time Lieberth has been in the news.

Back in 2012, he fought against eviction due to the Route 28 expansion project. His Allegheny Auto Body business was once located along the busy stretch of road.

He was eventually evicted from the property by sheriff’s deputies in early October 2012. At that point, he was the last remaining business owner along the construction zone. He moved the business about a year ago.

If Lieberth survives, he could face murder charges.

The investigation into the shooting continues.

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