Christopher Ashbaugh died after police say a co-worker opened fire outside Oaks Auto & Truck Service.
SPRINGDALE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Christopher Ashbaugh was working at a local towing business when a dispute with an employee near quitting time ended in gunfire and left his family facing a sudden loss.
Allegheny County police say Ashbaugh was killed Wednesday outside Oaks Auto & Truck Service after he told Niko Hostler, 32, to take another call near the end of Hostler’s shift. Hostler, of Verona, was charged with criminal homicide and jailed without bail. The case has drawn attention not only because of the allegation, but because the violence began with a routine workplace decision at a small business.
Ashbaugh was identified in local reports as a manager and tow truck worker connected to the Springdale Township company. After his death, a fundraiser was created for his family, describing a need for help after the shooting. Police have released little about Ashbaugh’s personal life, and the company has not issued a detailed public account of his role, years of service or relationship with Hostler. Still, the official complaint makes clear that Ashbaugh was acting as the person in charge when he assigned the final call. That ordinary act, police say, became the point from which the argument grew.
The business sits on School Street in a part of the township where garages, work vehicles and homes are close together. Around 5:10 p.m., neighbors heard the dispute outside. Amanda Mattern said the argument seemed to quiet before it rose again. Then she heard several shots. “I heard the guy that he shot lying on the ground saying, ‘Help me, help me,’” Mattern said. She called 911. Another neighbor, Jen Neumann, later stood near the scene and said the violence was out of place for the block. “It’s quiet here,” she said. “Nothing happens.”
Police said Hostler told investigators that Ashbaugh had sent him on a tow job as his shift was wrapping up. Hostler became upset, made a comment about Ashbaugh to another employee and was then confronted after Ashbaugh heard the comment while on the phone with that same employee, according to the complaint. The two men argued outside. Hostler told detectives Ashbaugh punched him, pushed him and moved to hit him again. He said he feared for his life and did not know whether Ashbaugh had a weapon. Police have not publicly said Ashbaugh was armed.
The shots ended the dispute before any workplace supervisor, co-worker or responding officer could defuse it. Ashbaugh was struck multiple times and died after being taken for medical care. Some local accounts said police described about 10 shots. Investigators have not publicly released the full surveillance video or a complete timeline measured in seconds. They also have not said whether any other employee saw the full physical confrontation. Those details could affect how prosecutors present the case and how Hostler’s defense responds to the claim that he acted out of fear.
The criminal case began with a homicide charge, a preliminary arraignment and detention at the Allegheny County Jail without bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 3. At that point in the process, a judge reviews whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move the case forward, not whether the accused is guilty. The court record was expected to develop through testimony, filings and possible motions tied to the video, witness accounts and Hostler’s police statement. No public record reviewed for this report showed a final outcome as of June 23.
The killing also placed a spotlight on the pressures of towing work without suggesting those pressures explain or excuse the violence. Towing companies often respond when drivers are stranded, vehicles are disabled or police need cars moved. Calls can come late in a shift, and workers may be sent back out when they expect to go home. Police have not said what kind of tow call Ashbaugh assigned or whether it was urgent. The known facts remain limited: the order came near the end of Hostler’s shift, Hostler was frustrated, and a workplace argument followed.
At the scene, the public aftermath was stark. A manager was dead, an employee was jailed, neighbors were left giving statements and a family was left to plan without the person who had gone to work that day. Mattern said she still wished she could have done more, even though she called for help. Oaks Auto & Truck Service offered no extended public comment. Police continued to rely on the evidence gathered from the business, the street and the people who saw or heard parts of the confrontation.
The case remained pending with Hostler charged and Ashbaugh’s family receiving community support after the fatal shooting. The next milestone in the public record was the preliminary hearing set for June 3.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.