Questions raised about security after shooting at judge's office

MASONTOWN, Pa. — Less than 24 hours after a suspect opened fire at a district court in Masontown, injuring four people, questions are being raised about security.

District courts in Pennsylvania have varying levels of security, but rarely include the use of metal detectors or full-time security.

Security concerns are in the hands of the judges themselves, and some, like Bethel Park District Judge Ron Arnoni, believe the issues should be evaluated.

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"This is not new," he said. "We've been talking about this as an association and as district judges for many years and we continue to evaluate it every day."

Unlike the Allegheny County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh, district courts rarely include security measures like metal detectors or full-time officers, and those are up to individual courts.

In Bethel Park, constables and officers wand everyone before they can enter the courtroom, and surveillance cameras are prevalent.

But Arnoni believes more can be done to keep district courts safe.

"I think the implementation of additional security is always a good idea, and yes, I would welcome any additional protections for the district courts," he said.

State Sen. Randy Vulakovich believes the state’s main security focus should be on schools, but said he's open to hearing concerns over how district courts are protected.

“If the magistrates feel that there's a necessity to do this, I can assure you they'll be on our doors knocking, saying, ‘We need to think about this,’” he said.

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