You can say one thing about his case, the father and daughter no longer have a housing problem, she is dead and he is in jail, getting three hots and a cot as my old boss would say.
This is more a product of Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act. After a hearing, the Tenant has 10 days to move out, or he will be evicted, no matter what the weather is outside or if a minor is a member of the household and they have no place to move to.
Technically, the Tenant has 10 day to appeal the decision of the Magistrate, but to do so he has to post a bond equal to the lesser of rent due or three times the monthly rent as determined by the Magistrate. If no appeal is taken in that 10 day period, the Constable is sent to the rental unit to post another notice that in another 10 days the constable will return and remove the tenants.
That removal can only be stopped by the landlord, who apparently did not care if a 12 year old girl was put out into sub freezing weather.
You may not like it, but present Pa Law bassically put the Tenant and his 12 year old daughter out in the street, in temperatures blow freezing. What would you do if that is the choice you are facing? i.e. trying to delay the eviction to warmer weather or going out into the cold with your 12 year old daughter? Tough choice, easy to attack someone's right to a "Bare Arms" instead of address the issue of housing in cold weather. It would have been better of the Father had just refused to leave the Constable in without using a firearm, but what would have happened if the father did just that? But that is speculation, at least the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, as amended in 1997 was enforced, a 12 year old is dead but that is the price one pays to evict tenants who can no longer pay their rent and have no place else to go to.
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