Triple shooting leaves 2 dead, 1 seriously injured in Connellsville
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Nicole Kinneer, 37, of Connellsville, shown here in a cellphone photo, was fatally shot in a Hill Street home Tuesday night. She was a drug and alcohol counselor at Wormack Inc. One of her clients, Andrew 鈥淏ryce鈥� Swope, said he was very close to the woman, who was his therapist since he was a child.
Three people were shot, two fatally, at 306 Hill St. in Connellsville, April 17. Homeowner George Rohal, 65, was seriously injured at about 8:30 p.m. Nicole Kinneer, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene and Darren Ruvo, 36, died on his way to the hospital.
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Andrew 鈥淏ryce鈥� Swope, 23, and his fiancee, Ashley Flynn, 24, of Connellsville spoke about the impact of their drug and alcohol counselor, Nicole Kinneer, 37, who was killed in a shooting on Hill Street Tuesday night.
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Andrew 鈥淏ryce鈥� Swope, 23, of Connellsville holds a picture of his longtime counselor, Nicole Kinneer, who died in a shooting on Hill Street Tuesday night.
A Connellsville couple thought it was odd when the woman who was always there for them, their drug and alcohol counselor, didn鈥檛 answer calls or texts Tuesday night.
鈥淣ormally, she鈥檇 text me back like nothing. So I thought maybe she fell asleep, or put her little boy to bed for school in the morning,鈥� said Ashley Flynn. 鈥淏ut, no. That鈥檚 not what it was.鈥�
Flynn and her fiance, Andrew 鈥淏ryce鈥� Swope, later learned their counselor, Nicole L. Kinneer, had been shot to death at 306 Hill Street in Connellsville. The couple took a walk Tuesday night around their former Fairview Avenue home after hearing about the shooting, shortly before they sent the text. They were concerned about their former neighbor, George Rohal, who often told Swope to pick flowers from his garden for Flynn. They had no idea Kinneer, their counselor and a longtime support for Swope, was dead inside the house.
Kinneer, 37, of Connellsville was pronounced dead on the scene after the shooting at about 8:30 p.m. Rohal, 65, the homeowner, was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh with serious injuries. An update on his condition was not released Wednesday. Darren K. Ruvo, 36, of Connellsville was taken to Highlands Hospital by ambulance, where he died. Connellsville Police Department is continuing its investigation in coordination with the Fayette County District Attorney鈥檚 Office, Fayette County Coroner and state police forensics unit. Investigators have not yet released information on who fired the shots, but said no one outside of the three was involved. The coroner completed autopsies Wednesday afternoon. The results of those autopsies will not be released until Thursday.
Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln praised the swift response from the city鈥檚 police, county district attorney鈥檚 office, coroner鈥檚 office and other first responders.
鈥淭his has sent shock waves through our small community,鈥� Lincoln said Wednesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something that happens often in Connellsville.鈥�
Kinneer was a licensed professional counselor at Wormack, Inc. in Connellsville, where she helped found the organization鈥檚 substance abuse and mental health program, according to CEO Raymond Wormack.
鈥淪he had a passion 鈥� just for wanting to help other people, and she was always willing to help someone that was in need. That鈥檚 how she was,鈥� he said.
He described her as 鈥渒indhearted and free-spirited, an excellent colleague and a better friend.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 going to be missed by many,鈥� he said.
Her death rocked Swope and Flynn.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檇 be as far as we are right now with our drug problem without her being there to talk to us and help us,鈥� Flynn said.
Swope knew Kinneer long before he visited her for drug counseling. As a self-described 鈥渢roubled child,鈥� she visited his house two or three times each week as his Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS) worker. The 23-year-old鈥檚 eyes brightened when he talked about playing in the rain with Kinneer, jumping in puddles, going on fishing trips and taking walks with her in the park.
鈥淲e had a lot of fun together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was always in trouble, and she鈥檇 keep me out of trouble and keep me busy.鈥�
He said she was always patient with him, despite his violent outbursts as a child. On one particularly bad day, he said he became aggressive toward her.
鈥淎nd she still came back,鈥� he said, his voice rising with disbelief. 鈥淪he came back when she was off work to talk to me and hang out with me and find out if I was OK.鈥�
The couple said Kinneer went far beyond the duties of a counselor. When they ran out of money, she gave them gift cards. When their federal assistance lapsed, she helped fix the problem.
鈥淵ou needed her, she was there, even if she was off work,鈥� Flynn said. 鈥淪he might have had her son with her, but she was there.鈥�
She had an 8-year-old boy. Kinneer recently made plans with the couple for a play date at the park with their 4-year-old son.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just scary knowing it could happen to anybody, especially somebody like her,鈥� Swope said. 鈥淣obody deserves it.鈥�
The couple struggled to understand how the tragedy happened, saying they had no idea Kinneer knew Rohal, or was in a relationship with Ruvo. They said she never mentioned going to the Hill Street house, and always had her son with her after work.
Swope recalled texting Kinneer to confirm Flynn鈥檚 appointment Tuesday night. She answered with a smiley face. He texted again to confirm the time, and there was no response. When Flynn went to her appointment, she learned Kinneer had died, and came home to break the news to her fiance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be so weird going (to counseling) knowing she isn鈥檛 there, and it鈥檚 a constant reminder too, so that鈥檚 gonna be another hard thing,鈥� Swope said. 鈥淎s soon as you walk in there, knowing that office is empty all the time, it鈥檚 gonna be hard.鈥�
He said he has seen several drug and alcohol therapists, but none of them had the same impact as Kinneer. He could tell she truly cared, he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 gonna keep going,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not gonna stop just because something like that happened. Nicole wouldn鈥檛 like that. It鈥檚 gonna be stressful and hard,鈥� he paused and turned to his fiancee. 鈥淵ou think?鈥�
鈥淵eah,鈥� Flynn answered. 鈥淏ut we can do it.鈥�