Police search for 2 men wanted in Washington County grandma's shooting death
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) - A Washington County family is demanding answers and justice after their loved one was shot and killed on her own front porch in the middle of the day. Fifty-eight-year-old Kristin Barfield was a grandmother and staple in her church community.
Washington police are looking for two men, Javarr Thomas and Brandon Allen. They face charges including homicide in Barfield's death. Police believe Allen was aiming at Barfield's son, but hit her instead.
Around 5 Friday afternoon, police brought in the car the pair allegedly used during the shooting. It was found in Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County.
"My mother didn't do nothing to harm anybody. She's a member of Friendship Baptist Church. She's an usher. There was no reason for my mother to be sitting on her porch to get killed," Barfield's daughter Courtney Ellis said.
According to police, Thomas was driving the car past Barfield's home on Ridge Avenue while Allen pulled the trigger from the back window. In surveillance video, you can see the smoke from the gun. Barfield was taken to a hospital where she later died.
Neighbors are alarmed at this escalation in violence.
"Now you have to think, what do you do when your grandkids are here, your great-grandkids are here?" a neighbor who did not want to be identified said.
At this point, the two suspects are still on the run. Officers said they should be considered armed and dangerous. She said there have been issues in the past, but it was never anything that would make you feel unsafe during the day.
"You're not talking about 11 o'clock at night when nobody is on the street. What do you do?" she said.
As we head into the summer months when more people are out, she's worried about what could happen to other people who could be outside at the wrong time, especially children.
"Is it going to be safe for them to even come on the porch and sit or do you have to hide in your house or back porch?" the lady told KDKA.
Washington Mayor Scott Putnam says in a statement: "The city offers its sincere condolences to the family of Kristin Barfield. The Washington Police Department will continue to work for the safety of our residents."
Police said if you see Allen or Thomas, you are asked to call police.
There was a shooting just down the street from this homicide last week. No word on if the two are connected.
