A GoFundMe has been established for the family of a tow truck driver shot to death by a coworker Wednesday in Springdale Township.
Allegheny County Police said Christopher Ashbaugh, 53, was killed during a workplace argument at Oaks Auto/Truck Service. He was shot multiple times, police said.
Niko Hostler, 32, of Verona is charged with homicide in connection with the shooting, according to police.
“It is with shattered hearts that we share the devastating loss of Chris Ashbaugh, who tragically lost his life in a senseless shooting while doing what he loved most,” GoFundMe organizer Kayla Shaner wrote on the fundraising page.
“Chris took tremendous pride in his work and the people he helped every single day. He was the kind of man who never hesitated to show up when someone needed help, no matter the hour, weather or situation.”
The GoFundMe said donations will help pay funeral expenses, bills “and help give the family the time and stability they need to begin navigating life without him.”
Ashbaugh was a husband, father and grandfather, according to the page.
“This unimaginable tragedy has left the family not only grieving a heartbreaking loss but also facing the sudden financial burden that comes with it,” Shaner wrote.
“Please keep his family, friends, and coworkers at Oaks Auto Truck Service in your thoughts and prayers as they try to process the loss of a man who was deeply loved and taken far too soon.”
As of Saturday morning, more than $6,650 had been raised toward a $12,000 goal.
Hostler is currently in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint, a fight between the two men began after Ashbaugh assigned Hostler to a tow call on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, somewhere around Murrysville and Penn Township, with a little less than an hour left on his shift.