A workplace argument escalated into gunfire, leaving one man dead and another jailed without bail.
SPRINGDALE TOWNSHIP, PA – A late-shift dispute at a local auto service shop turned deadly Wednesday when a tow truck employee allegedly shot and killed his manager after being asked to take another call. The shooting unfolded at Oaks Auto & Truck Service, ending with a 53-year-old supervisor dead and a 32-year-old worker facing a criminal homicide charge.
Niko Hostler was taken into custody following the incident and is being held at the Allegheny County Jail without bail, according to court records. The victim, identified as Christopher Ashbaugh, was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Workplace dispute turns violent
According to a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI, the confrontation began as Hostler’s shift was coming to an end. Ashbaugh instructed him to respond to another service call, prompting frustration that escalated into a physical altercation between the two men.
Hostler told authorities that Ashbaugh punched him, pushed him, and attempted to strike him again. He claimed he was “in fear for his life” and did not know whether his manager had a weapon before pulling out a firearm and shooting.
A nearby resident reported hearing the argument intensify before gunfire erupted.
“I heard them not talk, so I thought maybe they resolved it, then I heard them again, arguing, yelling, and then I heard ‘pop pop pop pop’ like five times,” witness Amanda Mattern told KDKA. “I heard the guy that he shot lying on the ground, ‘Help me, help me.’”
Court proceedings underway
Hostler was formally arraigned Thursday and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on June 3. Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
The case remains under review as investigators work to piece together the moments leading up to the shooting inside the Springdale Township business.