Lower Burrell Pub Owner Fatally Shot Outside Bar; Suspect Arrested
ICARO Media Group
Lower Burrell, [DATE] - In a tragic turn of events, the owner of Mogie's Irish Pub in Lower Burrell was shot and killed outside his establishment on Thursday morning. David Magill, 64, was pronounced dead at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison after suffering a gunshot wound to his torso.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the popular bar and restaurant, located at the corner of Leechburg and Wildlife Lodge roads. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing a silver Ford Ranger pickup swiftly leaving the scene down Leechburg Road.
The authorities wasted no time apprehending the suspect in this heinous crime. Nathan Salem, a 45-year-old resident of Lower Burrell, was charged with first-degree murder and criminal homicide, as confirmed by court dockets filed later that afternoon. District Judge Cheryl Peck-Yakopec ordered Salem to be held without bond, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 3.
Startlingly, Salem voluntarily appeared at Lower Burrell City Hall shortly after the shooting, confessing to the crime. The Westmoreland County District Attorney's office commended the swift response of law enforcement, who promptly found multiple bullet holes in Magill's vehicle in the pub's parking lot. Additionally, at least one bullet had penetrated a window of the pub and lodged itself in an interior wall.
Eyewitness accounts shed more light on the terrifying incident. Greg Mellish, a mechanic working across the street at Morabito Motors, was the first to arrive at the scene after hearing the gunshots. Mellish, 30, immediately began administering CPR to Magill while summoning emergency services.
The Burrell School District took immediate precautions and initiated a lockdown of all its buildings shortly after 9 a.m., which lasted until Salem's arrest was confirmed. Fortunately, no students or staff were harmed in the incident, and classes resumed as usual after the lockdown was lifted.
Lower Burrell residents, shocked by this violent event, expressed their sympathies and shared their past positive experiences with Magill and his establishment. One resident, Evelyn Leezer, who witnessed part of the shooting, described the horrifying scene of a man firing multiple shots from a passenger window of a silver truck.
As law enforcement continues the investigation, Leechburg Road near Wildlife Lodge Road remains closed, with city officials stating that the road closure is expected to continue throughout the day.
The loss of David Magill has deeply impacted the Lower Burrell community, leaving friends, family, and patrons in mourning. As the investigation unfolds, the hope for justice grows stronger, as the authorities diligently work to bring closure to this tragic incident.