Shooting In Export PA: Daniel Chicka was killed by Matt Miller in a parking space dispute in Export, PA. Matt wasn’t injured and is state police custody, said state police Trooper Steve Limani. Limani encouraged neighbors with information on the incident or doorbell camera footage to reach out to state police.
Who Was Shot In Export PA Shooting?
Daniel Chicka, 65, a resident of Export, Westmoreland County was killed by Matt Miller, 32 over a months-long dispute over a parking spot. The shooting took place around 2 p.m. in the 5800 block of Madison Avenue. According to reports Daniel and Matt are neighbors. The men appear to have been involved in a dispute for several months, Limani said.
Police Report
State Trooper Steve Limani told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that police were called around 2 p.m. after shots were fired in the 5800 block of Madison Avenue. He said a neighbor had shot a fellow neighbor. Police said that the man shot, Daniel Chicka, 65, had died. One suspect, 32-year-old Matt Miller, was in custody over this shooting.
“It appears these neighbors have had an ongoing dispute over parking, which is a shame because it escalated into one of the neighbors shooting the other and subsequently that neighbor died from the gunshots,” Limani said.
Limani encouraged neighbors with information on the incident or doorbell camera footage to reach out to state police. Residents of Madison Avenue huddled under their porch roofs Tuesday afternoon to watch investigators as rain poured down. Troopers lined the surrounding streets with caution tape, setting up a tent to protect the evidence from the downpour.
Eye Witness Account
“Definitely the capturing of evidence and preservation of it is paramount,” Limani said of the brief lightning storm’s impact on the investigation. “Weather could definitely be a factor.” Borough Councilman Joe Ferri, who owns the Joey’s The Edge bar and grill about a block from Madison Avenue, described the shooting as tragic.
“It’s a shame. I didn’t know anybody that was involved, but it is less than a block away from me,” he said. Ferri said he heard the gunshots from the apartment over his bar and initially did not think much of it. “People shoot and stuff like that, but then I started hearing ambulances and sirens. I went outside, and sure enough, something happened up there on Madison Avenue,” he said. “It’s usually a pretty peaceful little town.”
Parking is an issue in the borough, he said, though some additional parking is being added along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. “It’s a little mining town, we have narrow streets and not much off-street parking,” he said. “That particular road, Madison Avenue, where this occurred, is real narrow, it’s on a hillside, it’s dense housing and there’s not much parking.”
“It’s hard to believe this has happened. I just feel bad for everybody involved. It’s just sad,” said Export Mayor Joe Zaccagnini. He was out of the area working today when the shooting happened. He saw the police cars on the hill when he got home, he said. “When I saw the police cars there, everything started to become a reality,” he said. The borough is waiting until more information is available to determine next steps, he said. “We’ll wait to find out exactly what all took place and go from there,” he said. A new parking lot is set to be completed in the borough within the next few weeks, he said.
