For the first time the two West Webster firefighters wounded in an attack on Christmas Eve are sharing their stories.
Ted Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter are holding (held) a news conference about the ambush that injured them both and killed two other firefighters.
According to 13WHAM’s Patrice Walsh, who is at the press conference, Scardino started by thanking the community for the outpouring of support.
He said, “I can’t tell you how many times I walk in Wegmans and people thank me.”
When asked about that day, Scardino said “I heard pop, pop, pop. Chip said we’re being shot at.”
Hofstetter added, “I didn’t know what was happening until I was shot. You don’t expect people to fire at you. I was focused on not wanting any more people hurt and self- preservation.”
At a news conference on Monday Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering recognized his officers involved in the Christmas Eve ambush that killed West Webster Firefighters Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka and wounded Firefighters Ted Scardino and Joe Hofstetter. The officers’ stories were also shared publicly and the chief talked about William Spengler Jr’s motive.
“After his mother died in October, he was extremely upset that money was donated to the West Webster Fire Department in her memory,” said Pickering, though he added that authorities may never know what triggered Spengler’s actions on Christmas Eve.
Spengler, armed with three guns and more than 400 rounds of ammunition, fired 58 shots in total. But once Reed returned fire, Spengler was left with three options, said Pickering: He could either be apprehended by police, die in a shootout, or take his own life.
Spengler chose the latter option, running about 200 or 300 feet west along a berm by Lake Ontario before heading towards the rocks and shooting himself.
“He never expected police to return fire,” said Pickering.
It was Webster Police Officer Mark Reed who arrived on scene before the first fire truck. Gunman William Spengler did not open fire until that fire truck arrived, and shortly after that Officer Reed returned fire with the assault rifle issued to him in his patrol car.
“He (Reed) saved I can’t tell you how many lives he probably saved because as they said this guy was prepared to keep shooting,” Sgt. Hall said of Reed’s actions. “(We) probably would’ve lost a lot more fireman and then the policemen responding to help the firemen, if we didn’t have the advantage that Mark Reed gave us. We probably would’ve lost some of ours. So he saved a lot of lives.”
Sgt. Kevin Hall, Webster Police Department, said, “You can only imagine the chaos there between the fire and you’re hearing shots, and there are fire personnel on the ground, the fire truck is crashed into the side of the road. It was just absolute chaos.”
When Sergeant Hall arrived to the scene on Lake Road Christmas Eve morning, his colleague, Mark Reed, was already there, shooting at William Spengler.
Sgt. Hall said, “You are surrounded by water. It’s very dark, very cold windy. There was a fireman down and I thought I had an opportunity that while Officer Reed and the suspect were engaged with each other I’d have an opportunity to sneak it and retrieve the fireman.”
That downed firefighter would end up being 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka. So Hall grabbed his ballistic shield from his car to try and help the firefighter.
Sgt. Hall said, “I thought that he was initially just laying on the ground kind of covering himself from the shots fired. So I thought when I ran up I would just pat him on the back and say lets get out of here an he’d get up and we’d run away. As soon as I put my hand on him I realized that it was gonna happen.”
Sgt. Hall said, “I realized that I couldn’t help him and I was in a very bad position to begin with and that’s when I retreated back to the vehicle and retrieved my weapon.”
Dawn Nguyen, of Greece, faces a federal charge of knowingly making a false statement, U.S. Attorney William Hochul said. She also was charged with a state count of filing a falsified business record, State Police Senior Investigator James Sewell said.
Sewell said the charges are connected to the purchase of an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun that William Spengler had with him Monday when firefighters Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka were gunned down. Three other people were wounded before the 62-year-old Spengler killed himself. He also had a .38-caliber revolver, but Nguyen is not connected to that gun, Sewell said.
Hochul said Nguyen bought the guns on June 6, 2010, on behalf of Spengler, who as a convicted felon was barred from possessing weapons.
Spengler was with Nguyen, a former Lake Road neighbor, when the weapons were purchased at the Gander Mountain sporting goods store in Henrietta on June 7, 2010, Hochul said. The rambling letter Spengler left behind, which Hochul described as a “suicide note,” informed authorities that the guns had come from the daughter of a neighbor.
Hochul and others at the afternoon news conference described Nguyen’s alleged actions as a “straw purchase,” in which one person intentionally and knowingly buys guns for another. Spengler could not legally own or purchase guns because of a felony conviction: he bludgeoned his grandmother to death in 1980.
The felony with which Nguyen is charged carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A press conference is scheduled for 4:00 PM EST today to discuss new developments in the case. News reports say a Greece, New York woman is now in custody as part of the investigation into how William Spengler Jr., a convicted felon, obtained the guns used to ambush West Webster firefighters.
Around 1:40 p.m., New York State Police, Webster Police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives descended on the Alpine Road home, where Dawn Nguyen and her mother, Dawn Welsher, were staying.
Senior Investigator James Newell of the state police said Nguyen was charged with offering a false instrument for filing. He also said a federal charge is pending, though he did not specify.
“She purchased the weapons legally, and they were stolen,” Nguyen’s lawyer, Dave Palmiere, said Friday. He said Nguyen doesn’t recall whether she reported the guns stolen.
The two to three page typewritten note left behind by murderer William Spengler Jr. is described as taunting at times and is apparently leading law enforcement to understand how the convicted felon was able to obtain the weapons used to kill two firefighters and wound two others. Those guns are a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, and a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber handgun.
The note penned by William Spengler Jr. prior to his deadly ambush of firefighters in Webster explained how a female former neighbor and her daughter helped him acquire the guns he used in the attack, according to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday that criminal charges against at least one, perhaps both, of the women were imminent.
How Spengler obtained the guns has been of intense interest to investigators because Spengler’s criminal history prevented him from legally owning firearms. He pleaded guilty in 1981 to a felony manslaughter charge for killing his grandmother with a hammer a year earlier.
Also, preliminary autopsy results from the investigation have been released.
The Webster Police Department and the New York State Police have released autopsy results from the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Michael Chiapperini died as a result of a single gunshot wound and Tomasz Kaczowka died as a result of two gunshot wounds.
The suspect, William Spengler, died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot to his head. There was no evidence of any other gunshot wounds to Spengler.
In other news surrounding Monday’s ambush, WHEC-TV is apologizing for running Wednesday’s episode of Chicago Fire, which was a repeat of a November episode involving firefighters and gunfire.
An NBC station in upstate New York expressed regret on Thursday for televising a repeat of “Chicago Fire,” a network drama about firefighters, that bore resemblances to a real-life Christmas Eve shooting there.
Fans of the show criticized NBC for rerunning the episode because it, in the words of the network’s description, portrayed two firefighters “pinned down by gunfire while trying to help the victim of a gang shooting.” In Webster, N.Y., on Monday, two firefighters were killed and two others were injured after a man lured them into a trap by setting a fire. The man later killed himself.
A Statement from WHEC-TV Vice President & General Manager, Derek Dalton:
Last night, NBC, our network, ran an episode of Chicago Fire that many in our community felt was insensitive in light of the Christmas Eve tragedy.
We understand and regret the timing of this episode. By no means did we, or NBC, intend any disrespect to the families or our community affected by the recent events in Webster.
All of us in the WHEC-TV family have a personal connection to our community and our firefighters. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and we will continue to cover this story with compassion.
Above, Greece, New York police officer John Ritter speaks about the tragic events on Monday that left West Webster FD members Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka dead and wounded Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter.
“We wish to thank the community — and the nation — for the heartwarming response to Monday’s tragic incident,” West Webster firefighters Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino wrote in a statement issued by Strong Memorial Hospital. “We are humbled and a bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes for us and our families.”
Firefighter Scardino (l) and Firefighter Hofstetter.
Dr. Nicole Stassen said in a statement that both men are making small steps and are doing “as well as I would expect at this stage.” Today’s plan, she said, is to begin physical therapy, and update their conditions to satisfactory.
There is some good news coming out of the University of Rochester Medical Center regarding the status of the two firefighters who were injured during Monday’s tragedy in Webster.
Dr. Nicole Stassen, who has been caring for both firefighters, says both Ted Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter are doing well that she upgraded their status from guarded condition to satisfactory condition Wednesday afternoon. She says the doctors are hoping to get both of them out of bed Wednesday to begin physical therapy.
Full statement from Firefighters Scardino and Hofstetter:
We wish to thank the community, and the nation for the heartwarming response to Monday’s tragic incident. We deeply appreciate your compassion and support as we focus on recovering from our physical wounds. We are humbled and a bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes for us and our families. We are in good hands and want everyone to know that even though we are able to accept only close family visitors, we are so very grateful for your prayers. Like so many others, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka, and with those who lost their homes. Please consider directing any acts of kindness toward others in the community who also need your compassion during this holiday season.
Funeral information:
Calling hours for both Lt. Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka will be held at Webster Schroeder High School on Ridge Road from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
The funeral service for Chiapperini, will be held at the high school at noon Sunday. He will be buried, with honors, in West Webster Cemetery.
A funeral Mass for Kaczowka, will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Stanislaus church on Hudson Ave in Rochester. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester.
For any Emergency Responders that are planning to come to town for the funeral services, lodging information for the Rochester area can be found on the Sleep link of the VisitRochester.com site.
Human remains, believed to be that of William Spengler’s sister, have been found at his burned out home. Click here for the story.
EARLIER:
The Democrat and Chronicle reports this afternoon that William Spengler Jr. left behind a two to three page typewritten note that talked about his plans for the ambush yesterday. The killing of two West Webster FD firefighters, the wounding of two others and the fire that destroyed seven homes was somewhat outlined in his note. Only a portion of the note has been released by police.
Spengler’s rampage left West Webster FD members Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka dead and wounded Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter.
Armed with a Bushmaster .223 semi-automatic rifle — the same weapon used in the Dec. 14 school massacre in Newtown, Conn. — a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and a stockpile of ammunition, William Spengler Jr. set a “clear ambush on first responders,” Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said at a news conference on Christmas morning.
Spengler used that arsenal to follow through on the threats he made in a typewritten note discovered not far from where police found his body.
“I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like best: killing people,” Spengler wrote in the note, which Pickering described as rambling, two to three pages long, and did not speak to motive. Spengler died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
While it can be a jumble to listen to, it does give you a perspective of what both departments faced during yesterday’s ambush that left West Webster FD members Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka dead and wounded Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter.
Previous STATter911.com coverage including radio traffic here & here
We have put together some of the latest information and videos from the ambush at a house fire in Webster, New York yesterday that left West Webster Fire Department members Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka dead and wounded Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter. The killer has been identified as William Spengler Jr, who beat his grandmother to death with a hammer 31-years-ago. Spengler shot and killed himself at the scene.
As police tried to get to the wounded and dead and evacuate neighboring homes, seven houses were destroyed by the fire set by Spengler. If you haven’t done so already, click here to listen to the chilling and amazing audio as the two wounded firefighters calmly describe what happened, guide the incoming police, fire & EMS units and work on their own escape. It is a remarkable recording.
Firefighters Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter (l-r).
In the pre-dawn hours of Christmas Eve, William Spengler Jr., who in 1980 beat his grandmother to death with a hammer, set fire to his home and car at 191 Lake Road. Spengler then burrowed into what police described as “a hollow,” and lay in wait.
As firefighters arrived, he opened fire, killing a 19-year-old volunteer firefighter and a 20-year veteran of the Webster Police Department, while injuring two other firefighters and an off-duty Greece police officer.
Slain were volunteer firefighters Mike Chiapperini, 43, a Webster Police Department lieutenant and the department’s public information officer, and Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, a Monroe County 911 dispatcher.
Spengler then shot himself. Police found his body on the Lake Ontario beach.
Pickering said the first 911 call is believed to have been made by a neighbor. The caller reported a car and a house on fire.
Police and firefighters were on scene within minutes, and that’s when the first shots were fired. Police say it appears that Spengler had positioned himself in a higher area where he could fire down on first responders.
A Webster Police officer responding to the scene exchanged gunfire with Spengler, and is credited with saving lives by keeping others back.
Pickering said one of the firefighters was able to escape in his private vehicle, while the others remained pinned down for around an hour.
Webster Police Lieutenant Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka were firefighters with the West Webster Fire Department.
Tomasz was a 911 dispatcher. He came up through the Explorer Program and had been a firefighter for a little more than a year. His manager at Webster Golf Club told News10NBC all that Tomasz talked about was being a firefighter.
Mike Chiapperini was a lieutenant in the Webster Police Department. He was named Firefighter of the Year two weeks ago. He has two little daughters and an older child.
Firefighters Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter were also shot and are recovering at Strong Memorial Hospital. An off-duty Greece police officer, John Ritter, was also hurt by shrapnel.
Police say Spengler was convicted in 1981 for beating his grandmother to death with a hammer and was released from prison in 1998. They’re trying to determine how he had weapons in his possession.
“Spengler was a convicted felon. He’s not allowed to possess weapons. Did he legally possess those weapons? No,” said Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering.
NOTE: Due to the tragic news of the day we will delay the announcement of the STATter911.com contest winners.
phillyfirenews has posted the radio traffic from this morning’s tragic shootings in Webster, New York that took the lives of two firefighters and wounded two others. The audio is mostly a radio conversation between the two wounded firefighters, dispatchers and responding units.
The injured firefighters, Joseph Hofstetter, who is also a career firefighter with the Rochester FD, and Theodore Scardino, are amazingly calm, despite their serious wounds as they provide updates and wait for help.
Killed by the gunman are two other West Webster firefighters, Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka.
Hundreds gathered Sunday evening in Greenwood to remember one of their own.
Second grade teacher Jennifer Longworth and her husband Dion were the two victims of Saturday night’s tragic explosion on the city’s south side.
Jennifer Longworth taught at Southwest Elementary for twelve years, said co-workers Sunday.
Co-workers, friends, family, students and parents all gathered outside for a candlelight vigil.
They laid flowers and candles near the flagpole outside, and wrote messages to Mrs. Longworth on a poster board.
Rick Callahan & Charles Wilson, Associated Press:
Splintered beams and boards on a piece of charred earth were all that remained Sunday where three Indianapolis homes were leveled in a blast that killed two people and rendered homes for blocks uninhabitable.
A backhoe raked through the rubble in the middle-class subdivision as clusters of firefighters and rescue workers weary from a long, chaotic day that began late the night before waited for their next assignment.
The two-story, brick-faced homes on either side of those demolished by the blast were in ruins. One home’s roof was gone, a blackened husk left behind. On the other side of the gap, the side of a home was sheared off. Across the street, garage doors had buckled from the heat.
It wasn’t yet clear what caused the blast that shook the neighborhood at 11 p.m. Saturday. Residents described hearing a loud boom that blew out windows and collapsed ceilings. Some thought a plane had crashed or that it was an earthquake.
Alex Pflanzer, who was asleep when the nearby homes were leveled, said he heard his wife screaming and thought someone was breaking into his house. Grabbing his gun, he checked the house and saw the front door was standing open.
“I walked outside and all the houses were on fire,” he said.
Pflanzer, his wife and two dogs were staying in a hotel room Sunday night. They were, however, without their cat, who refused to budge from the crawl space.
Deputy Code Enforcement Director Adam Collins said as many as 31 homes were damaged so badly that they may have to be demolished. The explosion damaged a total of 80 homes, he said. He estimated the damage at $3.6 million.
Some residents were allowed to return to their homes to retrieve a few belongings Sunday under police escort, officials said. Others whose homes weren’t as badly damaged were allowed to go home, but officials said they would have to do without electricity overnight.
Deputy Fire Chief Kenny Bacon said investigators haven’t eliminated any possible causes for the blast. But U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, who represents the area, said he had been told a bomb or meth lab explosion had been ruled out.
Along with the two people killed, seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries, Bacon said.
This is from a two-alarm house fire yesterday evening in Fairfax County, Virginia. The fire was reported at 7:47 PM in the 6600 block of Forsythia Street in Springfield.
At about 6:35 in the recording (from radioreference.com via firefighterdispatch) Engine 405 reported to command, “From what I can see, Baker quadrant, number two floor, floor is unstable”. Command announced that message to the fireground with the report that the ”bulk of the fire is knocked down”. The mayday is the very next series of transmissions starting at 7:23 in the recording as a firefighter with Truck 405 reported his officer fell through the third floor and was either on the second floor or first floor. Rescue Squad 426 quickly reported they have the downed firefighter and were bringing him to the front door.
Battalion Chief Richard Roatch confirmed that a firefighter was in the home battling the blaze when he was injured. The firefighter was sent to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The cost of damage to the home is unclear at this time.
A Brazos County constable was killed in a shooting that injured others near the Texas A&M University campus Monday afternoon, according to a source with the county.
Police said the suspect, who was taken into custody, was firing shots from a house near the campus across from the football stadium Kyle Field. The identity and conditions of those injured are not yet known.
One of two officers shot during an incident on Fidelity Street in College Station has died, according to several sources.
At least five people were taken to the College Station Medical Center but it wasn’t known if all were gunshot victims.
The incident appears to have unfolded about 12:15 p.m. at a house in the historical district of the city close to George Bush Drive.
AP:
Texas police took a shooter into custody Monday after receiving reports of multiple injuries near the Texas A&M University campus, officials said.
The university issued an alert on its just before 12:30 p.m. warning of an active shooter near the campus football stadium, Kyle Field. The warning told residents and students to avoid the area, and was later updated with the shooter taken into custody.
College Station Police spokeswoman Rhonda Seaton told The Dallas Morning News that law enforcement officers are among “multiple injuries” at the scene, which she says is within a block or two of campus. Seaton says she does know the extent of the injuries. Multiple calls to Seaton’s cellphone from the Associated Press went straight to voicemail Monday afternoon. Text messages and emails also were left for the spokeswoman.
Texas A&M spokeswoman Sherylon Carroll could not confirm any injuries or details about the shooting, but said most students were not on campus Monday and the fall semester does not begin until August 27.
“It appeared to be fairly quiet,” Carroll said of campus. “It didn’t appear to be a lot of people out and about at that particular time.”
College Station is about 90 miles northwest of Houston. Texas A&M is home to more than 50,000 students, according to its website.
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