Who is Bill Hardison? Pittsburgh gunman confirmed dead after six-hour gun battle with cops over house eviction
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Bill Hardison, the Pittsburgh shooter who was fighting with police over his eviction, was officially declared dead after a six-hour gunfight that saw more than 100 rounds fired.
WPXI-TV reported that a police source identified the man as a 63-year-old grandfather and a veteran. According to his family members, his recently deceased brother had once owned the home on Broad Street in Garfield.
BREAKING — A police source tells @MCipriani_WTAE the suspect, William Hardison is dead. https://t.co/kIRiSyXqy9
— Kalea Gunderson - WTAE (@KaleaGunderson) August 23, 2023
How did Pittsburgh gunman Bill Hardison die?
Multiple SWAT teams surrounded the area and exchanged fire with Hardison after he barricaded himself inside around 11 am after police failed to serve the eviction order.
After hovering around the residence shortly after 4.40 pm, a drone discovered the shooter "prone" and covered in blood. Less than 30 minutes later, authorities announced the man's death, according to KDKA.
"We wanted a peaceful conclusion, a surrender in this instance, and so we used various methods to accomplish that," Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Larry Scirotto stated.
Scirotto added, "With every opportunity we were met with gunfire."
What did the Pittsburgh gunman's relatives say?
Sheriff's deputies were attempting to deliver an eviction notice. The house belonged to the man's relatives, and after their death, he remained there.
According to family members, Hardison believed he was entitled to the house he and his brother had shared.
Marlene Jones, a relative, reportedly said that Hardison's mental state had gotten worse in the past 12 months.
According to reports, Hardison had an ample supply of weapons and ammo, which resulted in up to 100 rounds being fired during the gun-battle.
A different relative claimed they had no knowledge of what was happening but had offered him a room if he needed a place to stay.
However, according to WPXI, neighbors claimed he was violent and boarded up the home's windows with big "Do Not Disturb" signs.
Has Bill Hardison ever been arrested before?
According to local TV station WTAE, Hardison had a criminal record and had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. He received two years of probation.
Additionally, he pleaded guilty to forging or altering a title or registration and was sentenced to three years of probation.
In 2005, Hardison received two years of probation after entering a guilty plea to an accident causing death or serious harm.
In a different incident from 2001, Hardison admitted to escaping or attempting to run, as well as disorderly behavior, and was sentenced to six months of probation.
Who owns the home of Bill Hardison?
Hardison was allegedly residing in a residence that belonged to his late brother, Joseph, who bought it in 1998.
The mortgage on the property had been overdue ever since his brother died. At least $15,000 was still owed on the property.
In March, an LLC gained possession of the property and paid $25,000 for it.
After that, the LLC served Hardison with an eviction notice in May, alleging he was residing there without paying rent. The shooting began when the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office was delivering that eviction notice.
A few months earlier, Hardison filed federal paperwork charging the company with fraud and trespass, per WPXI.
Bill Hardison's son pleaded with his father to end the standoff
Bill's son, William Jr, who shares his father's name, was present and begged him to end the stalemate.
He said, "Dad, please surrender. Please give up. You have children and grandchildren that love you dearly. Please stand down."
A woman claiming to be Hardison's sister offered to act as a go-between. "He's a good man, he's just lost his brother and he was in the service," she yelled at the media.
William Jr told Channel 11 that his father had served in the military in the past, but that it had been so long ago that he did not believe he had ever been born.
He said that he disagreed with his father's actions, and that although he was a wonderful man, he was "spiraling."
What did the neighbors say about Bill Hardison's gunfight?
A neighbor recalled the shooting and characterized it as something out of a movie. "I’ve never heard bullets like this. Something you’d see in a movie," a neighbor near the spot told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Several roads in the Garfield neighborhood were closed, and police warned residents to avoid the area because shots were "continuously fired."
A White House spokesperson told Fox News that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the Pittsburgh shooting.