A Lebanon County, Pennsylvania man under investigation for child pornography was fatally shot by state troopers on Wednesday (January 29) when he confronted them as they attempted to serve a search warrant at his home.
John McDowell, 47, was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m. at the scene of the shooting in the first block of Gable Drive in Myerstown, according to information released by the Lebanon County coroner's office.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Ethan Brownback said troopers were attempting to serve a warrant in a child pornography investigation when "troopers were confronted by the suspect of the investigation in a manner that resulted in members discharging their firearms." No troopers were injured in the incident.
The investigation leading to the search warrant began months earlier. According to court documents investigators received a tip in June 2025 about child pornography being shared in a private chat message on Kik. The username and email address provided to investigators were later linked to McDowell.
The investigation revealed connections to an FBI case where individuals had to "verify" themselves by producing child sexual abuse material to join an online group. In conversations with other users, McDowell allegedly referred to himself as a "pedo" and discussed past inappropriate contact with children.
Authorities tracked McDowell through IP address records and confirmed his identity through his driver's license and a pest control business he operated in the area.
"It's scary. I mean, there are a lot of children in this neighborhood," neighbor Carol Cooper told local media.
The troopers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with standard Pennsylvania State Police policy. The Pennsylvania State Police Major Case Team is investigating the incident with assistance from the state attorney general's office.
The Lebanon County Coroner's Office said an autopsy was completed Thursday morning, with McDowell's official cause and manner of death pending autopsy results.