Dad Charged in Fire That Killed 19-Year-Old Pitt Student Lakyn Shelleby

A Pennsylvania father is accused of setting a fire that killed his daughter, University of Pittsburgh sophomore Lakyn Shelleby, and left the student’s mother hospitalized.

Allegheny County Police wrote in a press release that first responders were dispatched Sunday morning to a block in Castle Shannon, where the 19-year-old woman was found deceased and an adult woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Detectives said preliminary information showed the blaze was intentionally set by a man known to the victims.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, WPXI and WTAE, the suspect is 46-year-old Brian Shelleby, Lakyn’s father. Police later announced he faces charges including criminal homicide, aggravated arson and causing or risking catastrophe, and that he was transported to the Allegheny County Jail pending arraignment.

The girl’s mother, Carly Shelleby, told police she had told her husband he could not stay at the home because they were separated, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by the outlets. She allegedly heard liquid being poured in the garage, and Lakyn told her she saw him pouring gasoline — the father later admitted to causing the explosion, per the complaint.

“I heard an explosion and ran outside and saw all the windows were blown out … the thickest black smoke I have ever seen,” neighbor Patrick Funwela told CBS Pittsburgh. “We broke the window, climbed up the ladder, screaming for Lakyn — no words, nothing.”

Painter Manul Henriquez told CBS Pittsburgh he rushed over thinking of his own children: “We went around the house, trying to help break windows, open doors, but the whole house was engulfed by the time we got there.”

At a vigil outside St. Anne’s Church, classmates and neighbors remembered Lakyn as vibrant and determined. The University of Pittsburgh sophomore loved animals, played saxophone in her high school band and was known for her confidence.

“She was so smart, and she could kick down the doors with her charisma. There really was no one else with her attitude,” childhood classmate Alexandria Kelley told WPXI.

Authorities asked anyone with information to call the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.

A fundraiser established for Carly’s medical expenses and her daughter’s funeral costs has raised over $47,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.