Mar. 21—As police arrived early Monday evening to investigate shots fired at a West Scranton home, William Morgan stood on the porch covered in blood and holding a handgun.

The officers ordered Morgan to drop the gun. He complied and surrendered peacefully.

Inside 1924 Price St., Kevin Kruk, 23, lay dying or already dead. But Morgan, his fianceè, Stacy Evans, 42, and her daughter, Isabella Schimelfenig, 21, were alive.

"Morgan told officers that he had shot (Kruk) in self-defense," a police statement released Tuesday said.

Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell agreed. He ruled Morgan was justified in using deadly force and shooting Kruk, who police said pulled a pistol and shot the two women before Morgan confronted him.

"No charges will be filed in this case," police said in the statement.

Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll said Schimelfenig and Evans remained in serious condition in Geisinger Community Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon.

"God was with them," Carroll said. "This could have gone in a different direction. Had he (Morgan) not been there, things would have been different. ... It's a terrible tragedy."

Police said an autopsy determined Kruk died of a gunshot chest wound. County Coroner Tim Rowland ruled the death a homicide before police and Powell concluded the shooting justified.

Hurt by their breakup, Kruk, a Scranton resident, wanted to reunite with Schimelfenig. Shortly before 5 p.m., he went to the home to talk it over with her.

When the conversation ended unfavorably, Kruk pulled out a pistol and shot the women, city police said.

Schimelfenig managed to run upstairs and seek help from Morgan, who retrieved his gun, police said in a statement.

He and Kruk fired at each other and struggled physically. Schimelfenig fled to 1920 Price St. where she called 911 at 5:01.

As the altercation moved to the first floor, Morgan shot and killed Kruk, police said.

Police officers tried to revive Kruk. So did paramedics and a Pennsylvania ambulance doctor.

They couldn't. The doctor pronounced Kruk dead.

Powell said text messages from Kruk to Schimelfenig show he kept aggressively pursuing her. He said Kruk shot Evans in the face and Schimelfenig in the chest. Morgan clearly acted in self-defense, he said.

"Scranton police did a thorough and complete investigation and the facts are consistent with the statements taken," Powell said. "Mr. Kruk was the aggressor who shot two individuals before Mr. Morgan stopped him. ... These were shots fired (by Kruk) to kill."

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.