Family members deal with tragedy Man's son: 'They had to see the red flags'
A Pittsburgh man who fatally shot his former girlfriend before killing himself in a cemetery over the weekend was a veteran with suicidal tendencies who had received mental health treatment from the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, according to court documents.
Nicholas Domek III, 72, shot and killed Mary Jo Kornick, 62, of Freeport on Saturday, state police said.
The two dated for 10 years until they broke up last summer, according to Kornick's daughter, Sherry Kornick, who now lives in North Carolina.
The relationship further deteriorated with Kornick getting a protection from abuse order against Domek in December after she accused him of assaulting her and threatening her life with a handgun.
Domek was charged in Buffalo Township with stalking and attempting to kidnap Kornick. District Judge Wayne Seibel released Domek on an unsecured $15,000 bond and scheduled his next court appearance for last Dec. 19.
But Domek's son, Collin, asked the court to reschedule, explaining in court documents that Domek had attempted to commit suicide and was being treated at the Pittsburgh VA. A certification of Domek's visit to the VA was submitted to the district court records.
“There's a terrible tragedy here, two dead, that could've been prevented,” Collin Domek said Monday.
He said that his father had attempted to commit suicide twice since he was charged with the attempted kidnapping and each time was taken to the Pittsburgh VA for treatment. He added that bipolar disorder was among the things for which his father was being treated.
“They had to see the red flags; even I saw them. They failed him miserably,” Collin Domek said during a phone interview Monday. “It just feels like there were signs that were ignored.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the VA wrote, “VA offers comprehensive mental health care to meet the needs of every individual veteran. Our health care professionals guide treatment based on an individual's unique needs, this can include certain evidence based treatment, group and individual therapy and inpatient care. VA health care professionals are experts in understanding and meeting the needs of veterans.”According to the police complaint in the kidnapping case, Domek ambushed Kornick on the morning of Dec. 10 in the parking lot of Assisted Living at Rosebrook in Buffalo Township, where she worked. Domek put a handgun to Kornick's head, according to the complaint, and he began to drag her to his car. But Domek had a prosthetic leg, allowing Kornick to push him off balance, she told police. He fell to the ground and Kornick ran into the facility, where she called the police.“After that, she was terrified of driving,” Sherry Kornick said Monday. “It took everything in her just to drive to work and back.”When Domek was released on bail, one of the conditions imposed by the district judge was that he couldn't contact Kornick nor be in the same place as her.On Dec. 26, the day before Kornick secured a PFA order against Domek, he was arrested in Allegheny County for providing false information while trying to purchase a firearm on Nov. 2.State law requires a person with a protection order against them to surrender any firearms they own to law enforcement.In April, a new law went into effect that reduced the timeline defendants have to hand over their guns to authorities, and required judges to order the confiscation of all weapons in cases where victims obtain a protection from abuse order.Those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence or subject to protective orders have 24 hours — reduced from 60 days — to turn over firearms and weapons, according to the new law, which also places new restrictions on who can accept the weapons.Victim advocacy groups hailed the new law, arguing that domestic violence is not a private matter, but rather a public health issue.In Domek's case, his possession of a gun Saturday was illegal since he was under a protection order. Police said that Domek drove next to Kornick in her car after she got into an accident and shot her. The shooting occurred along the east side of Route 356 near Freeport Transport.“He pulled right up parallel to the victim. He fired a round at her, which struck her,” Trooper Dan Keston said. “He fled.”Police said casing from a .40-caliber bullet was found at the scene. Several calls to Keston for updates on how Domek obtained a gun went unanswered.Kornick was alive when Buffalo Township police arrived. She was pronounced dead after being transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh“I just keep thinking of her last moments alive, getting into a car accident,” Sherry Kornick said. “She must have been terrified. My mom was such a wonderful person.”Growing up, she recalled, her mother worked at Moonlight Mushrooms near Worthington.“I remember she used to play tricks on people she worked with. She had a wonderful sense of humor,” Sherry Kornick said. “I'm very angry at how this happened. It's a nightmare.“The day before Mother's Day. I don't know how we will ever get over this.”
The Veterans Affairs Healthcare System provides help to veterans. Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 and press 1.“A compassionate responder helps the veteran work through the moment and connects the veteran with the suicide prevention team at the local VA Medical Center or asks local law enforcement to respond,” according to information from the organization.Call the suicide prevention team at 412-360-6515 or bring up concerns with your health care provider. Visit www.pittsburgh.va.gov and click on suicide prevention under health care services.The VA Butler Healthcare System offers a similar array of options.The VA Butler Healthcare's Suicide Prevention Coordinator can be reached at 878-271-6096.
