Taco Bell releases statement after manager is accused of shooting employee

By WTAE Staff

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    SCOTT TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — A man has been arrested in the deadly shooting inside a Northwestern Mutual office on Wednesday.

The shooting happened at the office on Cochran Road in Scott Township on Wednesday.

Zairyre Mikhail Simmons, 23, of Pittsburgh, turned himself into police around 7:45 p.m., according to a news release from Allegheny County police. A warrant had been issued for his arrest, charging him with homicide and firearms violations.

The victim has been identified in court documents as 32-year-old Dorian L. Carver of Natrona Heights.

According to the criminal complaint, Simmons, a manager at Taco Bell, had written up Carver concerning company policy days prior. The complaint explains that on Wednesday, the two men argued about the write-up and had to be separated.

Carver then left the Taco Bell and walked toward Northwestern Mutual, according to the complaint, and Simmons followed him.

Detectives said a 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun was found behind a vacant building next to the Northwestern Mutual building. That gun matches a witness’s description of the firearm used to shoot Carver twice. Witnesses reportedly saw Simmons run from the scene.

Carver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A communications representative from Northwestern Mutual confirmed for Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that no one from the financial institution had been injured in the incident. In addition, Northwestern Mutual has “no reason to believe that Northwestern Mutual clients were directly involved in the incident.”

“We are shocked and saddened to hear that this happened,” Taco Bell said in a statement. “We understand that the franchise owner and operator of this location is working with the local authorities in their investigation. Our thoughts are with the affected family of the team member in this difficult time.”

Chartiers Valley Intermediate School was on lockdown due to the incident. The school is about a mile away from the scene.

Beth-El Congregation on Cochran Road tells us they were told to go into a lockdown situation by Allegheny County 911. The synagogue has a daycare program. Sts. Simon and Jude’s parochial school on Greentree Road was also on lockdown as was Mushroom Valley Family Learning.

Lincoln Elementary and Jefferson elementary and middle schools in the Mt. Lebanon School District were also under a “shelter in place” for a brief period. Those orders were later lifted. The school district said at no time were students or staff in danger.

Simmons will be held in the Allegheny County Jail pending arraignment.

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