PARADISE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- "I'm very sorry for what I did."
That's all David Green, 72, had to say as he walked out of court in Barrett Township Tuesday afternoon. Green is facing a homicide charge.
State police say Green walked into the Paradise Township Municipal Building just after 8 a.m. Tuesday. He had a brief conversation with Michael Tripus, 65, who is the building code officer for the township. Then, other employees heard a gunshot.
Tripus died at the scene.
Witnesses told police township employees rushed to help Tripus while Green stood there in the office until he was taken into custody.
Troopers say Green wanted to talk to Tripus because Green was having problems with mold at his home on Sugarbush Road.
"It's very rare. I was surprised because this is a quiet area. You really don't get that kind of chaos out here, so I was really surprised," said neighbor Manny Salgedo.
According to court papers, Green told police he knew Tripus had nothing to do with the mold problems he was having, but Green still shot Tripus. He told police he doesn't know why it happened.
"That's ridiculous. There's better ways to handle that than to actually commit violence," Salgedo added.
"Very quiet community. Like I said, tight knit, wonderful neighbors, and all the people that work at the township building. Everybody knows the people that work there, whether it's the road crew or the people that work inside the building, everyone knows you when you walk in for Election Day, so it's very sad," said Carol Latzanich of Paradise Township.
Green is locked up without bail.