A 61-year-old man fatally shot a neighbor in rural Pennsylvania Thursday and then ambushed responding state troopers, wounding two while firing dozens of rounds from a semiautomatic weapon, police said.
Lori Wasko’s boyfriend called 911 after 11 a.m. from their home near Thompson to report shots fired, state police Col. Christopher Paris told reporters. Wasko, 57, was shot and killed outside her home near her vehicle, police said. Police provided no information about a motive in the shooting.
A man identified as Carmine Faino, 61, shot Wasko and then shot troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins as they were arriving, Paris said. Both troopers were in stable condition with serious injuries Wednesday 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 another trooper and a third trooper was able to help rescue them, Paris said. The two were flown to hospitals for medical care.
Shapiro called the two troopers heroes and said Perechinsky “saved lives,” including people who were in the area.
“He acted decisively. He acted thoughtfully. And the work he did today exemplifies the absolute best of the Pennsylvania State Police,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said on Thursday.
A state police statement said the shooter was armed with a rifle and did not comply with demands. The statement indicated he was “ultimately shot and killed during the incident.”
The location was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of the borough of Thompson, some 163 miles (262 kilometers) north of Philadelphia.
Angelica Howell, a deputy coroner in Susquehanna County, said shortly after 3 p.m. that she was on her way to the shooting location. Howell said authorities did not indicate whether there was more than one person dead when they asked the coroner’s office to respond.
“I can tell you that the actor is deceased and more information will be released specifically about what happened today," Paris said. The troopers' police vehicles were hit by multiple bullets, he said.
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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