Man dies after being shot in head by his neighbor, police say

CHESTER HEIGHTS, Pa. (WPVI) -- UPDATE: Counselors deployed to Garnet Valley Middle School following the death of a former teacher.

Original post below:

A man from Delaware County has died after police said he was shot by his neighbor early Sunday.

It happened around 3:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Bishop's Drive in Chester Heights.

Investigators said John Ballas shot his neighbor, Joe Iavarone.

Iavarone died Monday afternoon. Ballas is now charged with Murder and other related crimes.

Neighbor, Steve Albrecht, says the quiet condominium complex is stunned, adding "It's very shocking, finding out the circumstances and the people involved, it's very very sad and very unfortunate."

What exactly led to the shooting is unclear.

State Police said they did receive a call of a disorderly male in the parking lot prior to the shooting, and that male was Iavarone.

Iavarone's parents tell Action News their son got into an argument with Ballas earlier in the night. It then escalated and shots were fired.

They say their son had been going through a difficult time.

Their son worked as a teacher at Garnet Valley Middle School for nearly two decades but was recently forced to resign.

District Superintendent Marc Bertrando confirmed Iavarone resigned but would only say "for personal and professional reasons."

The district released a statement that reads in part:

"Garnet Valley is a close-knit community, and an event such as this one has a profound effect on everyone. We, consequently, have counseling services available for students, faculty, and staff beginning on Tuesday at all of our schools."