Victim's daughters were present during fatal home invasion

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — The medical examiner has identified a 39-year-old man who was fatally shot during a home invasion Friday morning in Coraopolis.

Thomas Cassano was killed inside a home on Fifth Avenue around 2:30 a.m., investigators said.

Investigators said police are searching for three people, but no other information about the shooting has been released.

“We’re not sure of the relationship between the actors and the victim,” Allegheny County Police Lt. Andrew Schurmann said.

Neighbors told Channel 11’s Jennifer Tomazic that Cassano’s two daughters were inside the home at the time of the shooting. They weren’t injured.

Thomas Jones said he heard gunshots, and he ran over to Cassano’s house.

“I saw the culprits running away and then I heard him yelling for help. Right away I knew it was a bad situation,” Jones said.

Jones said whoever shot Cassano also roughed up his oldest daughter.

“She got picked up and thrown against a wall. So whoever did it, did it viciously. It was a vicious crime and they need to be caught,” Jones said.

Leonard Ishman, who said he and Cassano have been friends for 30 years, said Cassano was a good father.

“He was a great father. He was a father of two daughters on his own,” Ishman said. “When I go see the kids it’s going to be bad. It’s going to be a rough time.”

Anyone with information on the invasion is asked to contact police.

WPXI