Pennsylvania shooting: man kills neighbour, ambushes and wounds two state troopers
The boyfriend of the woman who was killed, Lori Wasko, called 911 from their home near Thompson, in Susquehanna county, to report that shots had been fired, state police Col. Christopher Paris told reporters. Police did not say why Carmine Faino decided to kill 57-year-old Wasko outside her home and then fire at responding troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins.
Faino also fired at police vehicles and at an SUV operated by a responding emergency worker, Paris said. The EMT was injured when his vehicle veered off the roadway.
'I don't want to speak to his motive leading up to this. I would say you can draw certain conclusions from the standpoint that we believe Faino shot our victim prior to our arrival and then from a position of tactical advantage fired dozens and dozens of rounds', Paris said. Investigators are looking into Faino's past.
Both troopers were in stable condition with serious injuries Thursday night, he said.
Paris said the troopers 'were dispatched to check the welfare of an individual. And there was additional information about shots being fired. But upon their arrival, they were immediately fired upon and ambushed. They are very lucky to be alive'.
Perechinsky applied a tourniquet to Jenkins, and two other troopers were able to help rescue them, Paris said. He praised Perechinsky for providing first aid to his colleague after they were shot and for working while wounded to prevent further injuries or death.
'Perechinsky was able to commandeer a tractor-trailer that was driving by, and he ordered the driver of that tractor-trailer to pull his semi rig across the roadway so that more people would not drive down that roadway and potentially be subjected to the fire', the police spokesperson said.
Perechinsky was 'still thinking at that point in time, after being shot twice in the chest, what can I do to secure this location? What can I do to make sure nobody else gets hurt?' Paris added.
The troopers were flown to hospitals for medical care.
Pennsylvania's governor, Josh Shapiro, called the two troopers heroes and said Perechinsky 'saved lives'.
'He acted decisively. He acted thoughtfully. And the work he did today exemplifies the absolute best of the Pennsylvania state police', Shapiro said.
Faino had a rifle and did not comply with demands, a state police statement said. He was 'ultimately shot and killed during the incident', police said.
The shooting happened about 5 miles north of the borough of Thompson, 163 miles north of Philadelphia.
Erika Mills, who lives less than a mile from where the shootings took place, said it made for a terrifying day in a community that is usefully peaceful.
'This is a very very quiet town. There has never been anything comparable', she said.
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