JOHNSTOWN — A Johnstown man shot and killed his former girlfriend Thursday just moments after she dropped their infant off at Johnstown day-care center.
The gunman – believed to be distraught over his mother’s death and a recent protection-from-abuse order – turned the gun on himself seconds later.
The victim was identified as Tasha Veney, 29, of the 300 block of Moore Street.
The shooter was identified as Chiedazo “Chad” Hardrick, 38, of the 700 block of Napoleon Street.
Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said Veney died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head. Hardrick died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, he said.
It is believed the Thursday morning incident stemmed from a domestic dispute, he said.
The estranged couple’s 11-month-old boy was inside the Little Lamb Day Care on Crouse Avenue in the Prospect neighborhood when the shots were fired that killed his parents just feet away in a broad-daylight murder-suicide.
“I don’t believe any of the kids witnessed it,” Johnstown police Chief Craig Foust said. “People from day care had information.”
Police found Veney’s body half in and half out of the passenger-side back door of her car, parked at the day care pull-in. The body of Hardrick – gun by his hand – lay under a tarp 30 feet away on the sidewalk.
Hardrick had lost his mother Wednesday evening. Moskal Funeral Home identified her as Deborah Ann Taylor, 60, of Johnstown.
“As far as classifying it, we’re safe in saying murder/suicide,” Foust said.
He said police were continuing to conduct interviews.
According to court documents, Veney filed for a protection-from-abuse order against Hardrick on April 5.
The papers indicate she was seeking to have Hardrick evicted from their home and was seeking custody of their three kids, including daughters ages 8 and 9. They had not lived together since March 26.
Foust said family members had stepped forward to take care of the children.
Galen Watts said he was driving by the center at about 9:45 a.m.
“I heard a man yelling at that girl in the car – and then pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” he said at the scene. “I heard five of ’em, at least five.”
Watts said he immediately called 911.
Shaking his head, Watts said, “She was a real pretty girl.”
The day care closed for the day by noon. A woman who answered the phone inside would not talk about the children.
Gary Shull, who lives about a quarter-mile away, was among several dozen people looking on from behind crime-scene tape.
He was on his computer when he heard the shots.
He said he heard from four to six gunshots in succession – then a pause, and one final shot.
Veney was featured in a March 2006 Tribune-Democrat story as a single mom who managed to buy her Prospect neighborhood house with assistance from the Johnstown Housing Authority. “I love my house,” Veney was quoted.
Neighbor Shull said he is tired of the violence in the neighborhood.
“I try not to get too close to anybody up here – for safety, obviously,” he said.
The Rev. Richard Williams, pastor of Heavenly Sent Ministries in East Conemaugh, said his condolences go out to both families, whom he knew.
“I think the whole community feels the tragedy that has occurred,” he said. “We as black people in the Johnstown area, when tragedy comes about, pull together. If there is nothing else, we can hang on the promise of God when He said, ‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’ ”
He said he believes the economic conditions have much to do with the condition and position of black males in the area.
Williams said black males have an ingrown pride in taking care of their families and the economic conditions make that difficult, he said.
Williams believes the death of Hardrick’s mother on Wednesday may have pushed him over the edge. His mother was someone he could lean on who had been taken away from him, he said.
“I just hope it’s a wakeup call to young people because things are not always going to be the way we want them to be,” he said.
“We must have patience and be persistent in our endeavors to have a happy life.”
Past incidents of violence resulted in protection order
By SANDRA K. REABUCK
SREABUCK@TRIBDEM.COM
The Johnstown man who killed his ex-girlfriend Thursday was ordered last week by Judge Norman Krumenacker to stay away from her and their three children in a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order.
Chiedazo Hardrick, 38, whose names also have been spelled Chiadazo and Hardwick, has been identified as the man who shot and killed 29-year-old Tasha Veney outside a day-care center in Johnstown’s Prospect section.
The couple apparently had a troubled relationship, including domestic violence incidents.
Hardrick, who had been living in the 700 block of Napoleon Street in the city’s Hornerstown section, also had a criminal record dating back to 1995.
Hardrick spent two days in Cambria County Prison in late March after being arrested by the Johnstown police March 26 for choking Veney, yelling about her allegedly “sleeping around on him” and threatening to kill her.
She ended up going to Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
He was released March 28 after his bond was reduced from $50,000 to $10,000 by District Judge Michael Musulin and after he waived charges of terroristic threats and simple assault to county court.
That was at least the second time Hardrick had physically assaulted her, according to the civil petition seeking the PFA order filed after the March 26 incident.
“On a prior occasion, the defendant head butted (Veney), the police were called and (she) went to the hospital for treatment,” attorney
Lisa Barndt of Laurel Legal Services said in the civil complaint.
In addition, he choked her on several occasions, Barndt said.
It was after the March 26 assault at Veney’s residence in the 300 block of Moore Street, also in the Prospect section, that Veney went to Laurel Legal Services about obtaining a PFA.
Krumenacker signed a temporary order on April 5, with a hearing scheduled before him for this past Monday.
In that order and a follow-up order, Hardrick was specifically directed not to own or possess guns.
Both Veney and Hardrick showed up for the hearing and agreed that the PFA would continue in effect for 18 months. In the order, the judge directed that their three young children would remain with the mother, pending further order of custody court, although Hardrick could have visitation with them by arrangements through a third party.
In the March 26 incident, the police said they were dispatched to Veney’s Moore Street residence at 4:28 a.m. after a caller reported hearing “people fighting and a woman screaming for help.”
When police arrived, Hardrick had fled the scene, but then returned, telling police he wanted to confront Veney about “sleeping around.” When Veney attempted to leave, he grabbed her, pulled her back and began to choke her, the police said in a probable cause affidavit.
A struggle ensued, and Veney fell down some steps and began yelling for help, the police said.
Hardrick’s criminal record lists guilty pleas to possession with the intent to sell drugs in 1995; recklessly endangering another person and drug possession, both in 2002; and disorderly conduct in 2004, according to the clerk of court’s office.
The domestic violence murder is the second one in the city in eight months.
On Aug. 3, Tammy Smith, 32, was stabbed and killed allegedly by her often-times boyfriend Shawn L. Williams, of Pittsburgh and Johnstown.
Williams, 37, is facing trial in Cambria County court for first-degree murder for allegedly killing Smith in a violent rage at her mother’s residence in the Oakhurst Homes housing project.
The couple had a stormy on-and-off-again relationship for two years, with family and friends saying that Smith was terrified of Williams and afraid to pursue criminal charges against him.
Other local domestic violence murders include:
• David Gerlach, 42, a retired Marine captain who worked for a defense subcontractor, shot and killed his wife, Debra, and another man June 29, 2008, in Cambria Township at the woman’s home.
• Johnstown police Officer Craig Knepper shot and killed his girlfriend, Susan Fyock, as her 4-year-old son watched on June 10, 2002.
The gunman – believed to be distraught over his mother’s death and a recent protection-from-abuse order – turned the gun on himself seconds later.
The victim was identified as Tasha Veney, 29, of the 300 block of Moore Street.
The shooter was identified as Chiedazo “Chad” Hardrick, 38, of the 700 block of Napoleon Street.
Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said Veney died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head. Hardrick died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, he said.
It is believed the Thursday morning incident stemmed from a domestic dispute, he said.
The estranged couple’s 11-month-old boy was inside the Little Lamb Day Care on Crouse Avenue in the Prospect neighborhood when the shots were fired that killed his parents just feet away in a broad-daylight murder-suicide.
“I don’t believe any of the kids witnessed it,” Johnstown police Chief Craig Foust said. “People from day care had information.”
Police found Veney’s body half in and half out of the passenger-side back door of her car, parked at the day care pull-in. The body of Hardrick – gun by his hand – lay under a tarp 30 feet away on the sidewalk.
Hardrick had lost his mother Wednesday evening. Moskal Funeral Home identified her as Deborah Ann Taylor, 60, of Johnstown.
“As far as classifying it, we’re safe in saying murder/suicide,” Foust said.
He said police were continuing to conduct interviews.
According to court documents, Veney filed for a protection-from-abuse order against Hardrick on April 5.
The papers indicate she was seeking to have Hardrick evicted from their home and was seeking custody of their three kids, including daughters ages 8 and 9. They had not lived together since March 26.
Foust said family members had stepped forward to take care of the children.
Galen Watts said he was driving by the center at about 9:45 a.m.
“I heard a man yelling at that girl in the car – and then pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” he said at the scene. “I heard five of ’em, at least five.”
Watts said he immediately called 911.
Shaking his head, Watts said, “She was a real pretty girl.”
The day care closed for the day by noon. A woman who answered the phone inside would not talk about the children.
Gary Shull, who lives about a quarter-mile away, was among several dozen people looking on from behind crime-scene tape.
He was on his computer when he heard the shots.
He said he heard from four to six gunshots in succession – then a pause, and one final shot.
Veney was featured in a March 2006 Tribune-Democrat story as a single mom who managed to buy her Prospect neighborhood house with assistance from the Johnstown Housing Authority. “I love my house,” Veney was quoted.
Neighbor Shull said he is tired of the violence in the neighborhood.
“I try not to get too close to anybody up here – for safety, obviously,” he said.
The Rev. Richard Williams, pastor of Heavenly Sent Ministries in East Conemaugh, said his condolences go out to both families, whom he knew.
“I think the whole community feels the tragedy that has occurred,” he said. “We as black people in the Johnstown area, when tragedy comes about, pull together. If there is nothing else, we can hang on the promise of God when He said, ‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’ ”
He said he believes the economic conditions have much to do with the condition and position of black males in the area.
Williams said black males have an ingrown pride in taking care of their families and the economic conditions make that difficult, he said.
Williams believes the death of Hardrick’s mother on Wednesday may have pushed him over the edge. His mother was someone he could lean on who had been taken away from him, he said.
“I just hope it’s a wakeup call to young people because things are not always going to be the way we want them to be,” he said.
“We must have patience and be persistent in our endeavors to have a happy life.”
Past incidents of violence resulted in protection order
By SANDRA K. REABUCK
SREABUCK@TRIBDEM.COM
The Johnstown man who killed his ex-girlfriend Thursday was ordered last week by Judge Norman Krumenacker to stay away from her and their three children in a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order.
Chiedazo Hardrick, 38, whose names also have been spelled Chiadazo and Hardwick, has been identified as the man who shot and killed 29-year-old Tasha Veney outside a day-care center in Johnstown’s Prospect section.
The couple apparently had a troubled relationship, including domestic violence incidents.
Hardrick, who had been living in the 700 block of Napoleon Street in the city’s Hornerstown section, also had a criminal record dating back to 1995.
Hardrick spent two days in Cambria County Prison in late March after being arrested by the Johnstown police March 26 for choking Veney, yelling about her allegedly “sleeping around on him” and threatening to kill her.
She ended up going to Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
He was released March 28 after his bond was reduced from $50,000 to $10,000 by District Judge Michael Musulin and after he waived charges of terroristic threats and simple assault to county court.
That was at least the second time Hardrick had physically assaulted her, according to the civil petition seeking the PFA order filed after the March 26 incident.
“On a prior occasion, the defendant head butted (Veney), the police were called and (she) went to the hospital for treatment,” attorney
Lisa Barndt of Laurel Legal Services said in the civil complaint.
In addition, he choked her on several occasions, Barndt said.
It was after the March 26 assault at Veney’s residence in the 300 block of Moore Street, also in the Prospect section, that Veney went to Laurel Legal Services about obtaining a PFA.
Krumenacker signed a temporary order on April 5, with a hearing scheduled before him for this past Monday.
In that order and a follow-up order, Hardrick was specifically directed not to own or possess guns.
Both Veney and Hardrick showed up for the hearing and agreed that the PFA would continue in effect for 18 months. In the order, the judge directed that their three young children would remain with the mother, pending further order of custody court, although Hardrick could have visitation with them by arrangements through a third party.
In the March 26 incident, the police said they were dispatched to Veney’s Moore Street residence at 4:28 a.m. after a caller reported hearing “people fighting and a woman screaming for help.”
When police arrived, Hardrick had fled the scene, but then returned, telling police he wanted to confront Veney about “sleeping around.” When Veney attempted to leave, he grabbed her, pulled her back and began to choke her, the police said in a probable cause affidavit.
A struggle ensued, and Veney fell down some steps and began yelling for help, the police said.
Hardrick’s criminal record lists guilty pleas to possession with the intent to sell drugs in 1995; recklessly endangering another person and drug possession, both in 2002; and disorderly conduct in 2004, according to the clerk of court’s office.
The domestic violence murder is the second one in the city in eight months.
On Aug. 3, Tammy Smith, 32, was stabbed and killed allegedly by her often-times boyfriend Shawn L. Williams, of Pittsburgh and Johnstown.
Williams, 37, is facing trial in Cambria County court for first-degree murder for allegedly killing Smith in a violent rage at her mother’s residence in the Oakhurst Homes housing project.
The couple had a stormy on-and-off-again relationship for two years, with family and friends saying that Smith was terrified of Williams and afraid to pursue criminal charges against him.
Other local domestic violence murders include:
• David Gerlach, 42, a retired Marine captain who worked for a defense subcontractor, shot and killed his wife, Debra, and another man June 29, 2008, in Cambria Township at the woman’s home.
• Johnstown police Officer Craig Knepper shot and killed his girlfriend, Susan Fyock, as her 4-year-old son watched on June 10, 2002.
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