Mogie’s Pub in Lower Burrell reopens nearly 6 weeks after beloved owner shot, killed

LOWER BURRELL, Pa. — For Kelsie Magill, reopening her late father’s restaurant “Mogie’s” in Lower Burrell nearly six weeks after he was shot and killed in the parking lot was both extremely challenging and sentimental.

“This is the embodiment of my father so I can feel him in everything,” Kelsie Magill said. “Sitting at his desk this morning it definitely was emotional because I was actually putting myself into his shoes, his habits and his routines.”

David Magill, better known as “Mogie” was a well-loved and respected business owner. His Irish pub at the intersection of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg Road was a huge part of many people’s lives. After David Magill’s passing, Kelsie and her brother Connor decided they wanted to take the business over and re-open it.

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“She has her dad’s determination and drive. I knew how close they were and she wanted to do this to honor him and she felt for the staff too. So even in her own grief and pain, she was thinking about others which was what he did on a daily basis,” Jill Crimi, Kelsie and Connor’s mother, said.

With their mother’s blessing and the community’s support, on Monday morning, Mogie’s doors reopened.

“He would be really proud of them, they were his world. ‘Atta girl,’ that’s what he would say, ‘Atta girl, atta boy,’ to the kids. That was his favorite line,” Crimi added.

While investigators have yet to release a motive for the fatal shooting, the Westmoreland County District Attorney says 45-year-old Nathan Salem showed up at Lower Burrell City Hall within minutes of the shooting reportedly admitting his involvement.

David Magill’s family says the tragedy is something they wake up reliving daily. They’re hopeful that continuing his legacy through the restaurant will help bring some peace.

“It seems like we can never fully heal from this because we’ll miss him every single day, but this was his heart and it’s our opportunity to be his heart for him,” Crimi said.

The family plans to honor him by putting a few special items on the menu.

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