PITTSBURGH — A mentally distressed man who died of a gunshot wound after leading police on a high-speed chase discharged his own weapon before a trooper shot at him, police said Thursday.

State police stopped short of saying whether they believe Ryan Senko, 22, of East Huntingdon Township, was fatally wounded by police or his own gun after the Wednesday night chase that began near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Senko bought a gun earlier Wednesday and was said by his mother to be distraught over a relationship and in need of mental health treatment, said Trooper Stephen Limani, a spokesman for the barracks in Greensburg.

“We knew he purchased a gun. We knew he was actively searching for his ex-girlfriend,” Limani said.

Campus police found Senko's vehicle, Limani said. When troopers arrived, Senko sped away, leading them on a chase up to 90 mph, much of it on winding rural roads, running stop signs and nearly colliding with other vehicles, Limani said.

A trooper, whose name wasn't immediately being released, managed to stop Senko by running into Senko's car, causing it to spin out, Limani said.

As Senko and the trooper sat in their driver's seats, facing one another, Senko drew his gun and fired and the trooper shot at Senko, he said.

Inmate could face death for slaying

An inmate accused of using a homemade weapon to attack and kill a guard at a federal prison in northeastern Pennsylvania could face the death penalty if he is convicted.

Federal prosecutors said in a filing Thursday they will seek the death penalty against Jessie Con-ui, who is charged with first-degree murder in the February 2013 stabbing death of Eric Williams, 34, at the Canaan federal prison in Waymart.

The death penalty is justified because Con-ui has an extensive history of violence, including a 2002 murder conviction, and the attack on Williams was premeditated and targeted a federal public servant, U.S. Attorney Peter Smith said in the filing.

Con-ui has pleaded not guilty in Williams' death.

PHILADELPHIA — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia has sold three land parcels for more than $56 million to shore up its finances.Officials said Thursday the sales involve about 700 acres. Most proceeds will go toward a parish trust and loan fund. About $3.7 million will go to the priests' pension fund.A 200-acre tract in Delaware County had been home to church facilities serving dozens of men with disabilities. Those residents are being relocated to make way for commercial and residential development.