Man charged with killing mother, another person inside house in Homestead

HOMESTEAD, Pa. — A man who Allegheny County police were looking to question about a double homicide in Homestead has now been charged with the crime.

Police said John Malcolm Smith, 25, showed up at a Pittsburgh police station to turn himself in Wednesday evening and was arrested on several warrants including burglary, simple assault and probation violations.

On Tuesday afternoon, officers were called to a home in the 100 block of West 15th Avenue around 4:15 p.m. for shots fired inside. A witness also told police they heard Smith threatening to kill his mother, Antoniette Porterfield.

When SWAT entered the home, they found Porterfield, along with another victim, John West, shot to death.

According to the criminal complaint, police said they found evidence in the second-floor bedroom, blood stains on Smith’s boots, and have video of him near the house, identifying him by his clothes.

Police said that Homestead police responded to numerous domestic violence calls between Smith and Porterfield at her home. Court paperwork states that Porterfield had a protection from abuse order against her son and there was an arrest warrant issued for Smith days earlier for allegedly assaulting her.

Smith is now charged with two counts of criminal homicide and is currently in the Allegheny County Jail.

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