BUFFALO TWP — There was a history between Mary Jo Kornick and the man who police say shot her to death Saturday and then took his own life.

Kornick, still dressed in scrubs, was leaving work at Assisted Living at Rosebrook, a personal care home, shortly after 3 p.m. and turned south on Route 356, her usual route, authorities said.

The 62-year-old Freeport woman may have discovered that she was being followed by her estranged partner, Nicholas Domek III, 72, who had threatened her only five months earlier.

Authorities believe she swerved her car to get away from Domek, whom she had a protection from abuse order against. State police said she crossed into the other lane and struck the rear of a northbound vehicle.

Multiple people came to her assistance after the crash. The driver of the car that was hit and his passenger were still in their vehicle when Domek drove up next to Kornick's car and fired, authorities said. The shooting occurred along the east side of the road near Freeport Transport.

Domek approached from the northbound lane, said Trooper Dan Keston, community relations officer for the Butler barracks.

“He pulled right up parallel to the victim. He fired a round at her, which struck her,” Keston said. “He fled.”

A casing from a .40-caliber bullet was found at the scene.

Kornick was alive when Buffalo Township police arrived and was transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Armed and dangerous

The Butler County Communications Center quickly issued a “be on the look out” alert for a red Chevrolet Cruze. Later came the warning: “Armed and dangerous.”

State police secured the scene at 1200 Butler Road (Route 356), where township police and volunteer fire department personnel and ambulances from Sarver, Freeport and Saxonburg were on hand, and restricted traffic for several hours.

The situation was tense, authorities said, not knowing whether the shooter had left the area or what he might do next.

A license plate reader in Tarentum detected Domek's car leading police to believe he was on his way to Pittsburgh where he lived, Keston said.

After Pittsburgh police were notified, officers found Domek's car in Cavalry Cemetery in Hazelwood.

“He was inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Keston said.

The Allegheny County medical examiner Sunday ruled his death a suicide.

December incident

Saturday wasn't the first time police sought Domek's car.

In December, Buffalo Township police reported Domek fled in it after holding a handgun to the head of his girlfriend, now confirmed by authorities as Kornick.

That assault occurred as Kornick was heading into work at Rosebrook at 6:05 a.m. Dec. 10, according to police reports. Kornick managed to fight off Domek and run away and called 911.

The Butler Eagle article on Dec. 11 warned that the balding and blue-eyed Domek was considered armed and dangerous.

In that case Domek, who has a prosthetic leg, was charged with felony kidnapping and misdemeanor counts of stalking, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of loitering and prowling at night. He waived the charges to court and was free on $15,000 unsecured bail.

Kornick secured a protection from abuse order against Domek on Dec. 27, authorities said.

The ongoing investigation will try to determine how Domek came to be in the area on Saturday, Keston said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.