Pennsylvania man charged with shooting and killing his father

A man is charged with shooting and killing his father at a home in Cook Township on Saturday, authorities said. 

The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said state police found 59-year-old Edward Lawrence Jr. dead near a garage after they were called to a home for a reported shooting. 

Police said Edward Lawrence's wife told troopers that her son, 28-year-old Cody Lawrence, intervened in an ongoing argument between her and her husband and shot him. 

She told troopers that she and her husband had been bickering throughout the day, and after an argument later on, she heard a loud noise and saw her son and husband emerge from the front door, with her husband saying he'd been shot. 

Police said Cody Lawrence told them that he saw his father reaching for a gun in his waistband, and the two of them fought over it before it went off. Cody Lawrence also said a pocketknife fell out of his sweatshirt during the struggle, so his father may have been stabbed. 

After searching the property, police said troopers found a pistol hidden near the front entrance and a folding knife nearby.   

According to police, Edward Lawrence had a gunshot wound and two stab wounds to his back. Troopers said they didn't find any evidence that Edward Lawrence's wife was in danger at the time of the shooting, and there was no physical evidence that Cody Lawrence had been involved in a fight.

Cody Lawrence was charged with homicide and denied bail, the district attorney's office said.