Shooting victim dies after life support is removed

By Ed Runyan

Two sons say they think their father was killed trying to help someone.

WARREN — David Petrosky, of Warren, shot in the head during what police believe was a robbery, died Friday morning at Cleveland Metro Health Center, about 24 hours after life support was removed.

Brian Petrosky, of Cleveland, one of the sons of the 55-year-old Copperweld Steel retiree, said family members spent a couple of hours with their father to say goodbye Thursday. Life support was removed at about 1 p.m. Thursday, and he died about 11:30 a.m. Friday.

“The doctors had a conversation with us about quality of life and the chances of him ever regaining consciousness. Instead of leaving him to live like that, we decided to let him go,” Brian Petrosky said.

Chris Becker, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said Petrosky’s death will result in an additional charge being filed against the man charged with the shooting. Becker declined to be more specific about the charges.

On Thursday, a Trumbull County grand jury indicted Christopher P. Moore, 31, of Roosevelt Street, on charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence and two counts of grand theft in connection with the shooting, which occurred Nov. 10 in David Petrosky’s Hall Street Northwest home. The burglary, robbery and tampering charges include specifications that Moore committed the crimes while using a firearm.

The grand-theft charges allege Moore took firearms from Petrosky. Police said they recovered the .45-caliber semiautomatic firearm that was used in the shooting, as well as a rifle.

Police said Moore called police at 8:41 a.m. to report that David Petrosky, someone with whom he was familiar, had been shot in the head there and might be dead. Moore lived one block from Petrosky.

Police arrested Moore later that day, and he has remained in the Trumbull County jail.

Brian Petrosky said Moore was a childhood friend of his, having gone to elementary school with him, and that Moore had problems with substance abuse.

Brian and his brother, Anthony, say they think Moore went to Petrosky’s house that day for help with problems he was having with “drug dealers” he had gotten into conflict with the night before and may have shot their father to obtain a gun.

Police confirmed that Moore had left voice messages at David Petrosky’s house the morning of the shooting, and that David Petrosky had never been in trouble with the law.

Both sons say their father had known Moore for many years and had helped him with small amounts of money and food in the past.

David Petrosky collected guns and sold them at gun shows, but he kept them well-secured in his house and was careful with them, said family friend Rosanna Montecalvo.

runyan@vindy.com