"Psychotic episodes don't work that way."
Yeah, they do, because it's up to the defense to convince a jury that there was an actual mental issue that negates or lessens the severity the charges. The state charges based on the factual transactions of the case. The transactions in this case are clear and are clearly born out by Pennsylvania law -- first degree murder attached when he came back out of his house with another gun to complete the transaction. The timing element is critical, and it doesn't (or wouldn't have) worked in the shooter's favor at all. The state would have charge first and second degree murder had he not killed himself.
I covered a similar case as a reporter in Pennsylvania years ago -- a murder that started out as an opportunistic crime and was escalated to first degree murder by the accused subsequent actions.
Accused was losing his girl friend to another guy. He's driving along, sees the guy at the side of the road, and swerves into him and blasts the guy into a field along the side of the road. Stopped his car, opened the trunk, got out a .30-30 Winchester, walked into the field, and pumped two rounds into the guy's chest.
Multiple witnesses to the murder.
Guy was charged with both first and second degree murder -- second degree for running the guy down, first degree for opening the trunk, getting the rifle, walking into the field, and shooting him. He ended up pleading to life/no parole to save himself a likely trip to the electric chair after the defense's psychological evaluations didn't do much to bolster an insanity defense.