When Jonathan Muhl robbed a McCandless ATM on Sunday, a crime police suspect he had committed once before, he chose a perceptive victim.

The woman who was robbed at gunpoint at a PNC in the McIntyre Square shopping center was able to give police a physical description of the suspect as well as the license plate number of his black Chevrolet.

When police officers confronted Mr. Muhl, 27, around 5 that evening outside his apartment on Lincoln Park Drive, Mr. Muhl shot and killed himself.

McCandless police Chief Gary Anderson said the incident "happened quickly." When Mr. Muhl saw the police approach, he lifted the gun to his head and shot himself despite officers' orders to drop the gun. He died at 9:51 p.m. Sunday at Allegheny General Hospital.

Residents of Mr. Muhl's apartment complex said they weren't familiar with him.

According to neighbor Irene Tabacchi, police officers did not enter the building to tell residents what had happened.

Another neighbor said he returned home around 6:30 p.m. and saw that police officers had blocked off the parking lot. "I'm absolutely surprised," he said. "This is a pretty quiet complex, nothing happens here."

Allegheny County homicide detectives are reviewing the case. Lt. William Palmer referred to it as a suicide, and declined to comment on Mr. Muhl's motives for the robbery or for killing himself.

During the robbery, Mr. Muhl had been parked near the ATM as the victim approached, then took out a silver handgun and demanded that she withdraw $400. The description of the events and the suspect are similar to a robbery that occurred at the same location June 21. No one was injured in either incident.