A newly married woman was taken into custody after she shot and killed her niece during her wedding party at a bar in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, police say.
Christina Nicole George-Harvan, 30, is accused of killing her 21-year-old niece after they got into an argument about who would drive home, CBS Pittsburgh reported. The two were standing in the parking lot of Jimmy K's Bar & Grille at around 10 p.m. Thursday when the aunt pulled out a handgun and shot her niece dead.
George-Harvan, from Conway, got married to her husband Jeremy Harvan just hours before the shooting. Her niece, Katelyn Francis, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and later died after being flown to UPMC Presbyterian hospital, WTAE-TV reported.
The aunt has been charged with criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of aggravated assault.
"It's a shame it happened, but I believe alcohol was a major factor in this," New Brighton Police Chief Charles Vanfossan told WTAE-TV.
Witnesses say they heard the bride arguing with her niece, from West Virginia, in the bar before the incident.
"Everybody in the bar noticed that there was something going on with the people, but nobody knew exactly what was happening," James Botinovich, who was inside the bar, told CBS Pittsburgh. "The next thing you know we heard someone got shot...looked out, noticed it was right by my car."
The bride allegedly used her husband's handgun to shoot Francis, according to the Associated Press. Police say the husband was also involved in the argument.
"We believe all three were arguing over who was going to be the designated driver," Vanfossan told WTAE-TV.
The bride was taken to the county jail where she is being held without bond. She is scheduled to appear in court next week, according to WTAE-TV.
