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.
The man who convinced Channel 9 in Washington in 1985 to take a chance on a radio reporter with no TV experience had some important words of advice for the rookie TV reporter. Mike Buchanan said you can never go wrong with a story about kids, animals or the Washington Redskins. While none of those were necessarily topics I wanted to cover, the advice from one of the best TV journalists in the country was extremely accurate.
The same formula (possibly minus the Redskins) seems to apply to news on the Internet and social media. By now you probably have seen the images in the video above. This clip happens to be from a TV news story, but people in that newsroom most certainly first saw the pictures come across their computer screen or smart phone. How many other stories do you think that TV news operation ran from Santa Rosa de Temuco, Chile in the past five years? My guess is none. Local TV news doesn’t do a lot of stories from South America.
Dogs, especially puppies, are big on the Internet just as they are on TV. If you can apply what we think is a human characteristic to that animal (especially dogs) you will have a winner. How can you not be touched by the story behind the series of images taken on Thursday by photographer J. Monsalve.
A heroic mother dog saved her 10-day-old puppies from a house fire in Santa Rosa de Temuco, Chile on Thursday. Sensing the danger to her babies, she picked the pups up in her mouth and moved them from the burning house to the safety of the nearby fire truck. She then gently placed the pups on the steps of the fire-truck as firefighters fought the blaze.
According to the various news reports about the rescue, one of the puppies later died of burns.
It is hard to deny it’s a beautiful story of a mother’s love. You will get no argument from me.
But would this story go viral in such a big way if it was about a human mother saving her children or a firefighter saving kids? I think not.
First of all, a photographer would have to get the pictures without someone in fire, EMS, law enforcement or the general public blocking the shot because they believe it is an invasion of privacy or a HIPAA violation. Then you would have the outrage by many that the pictures are too graphic.
So, let’s forget pictures of the event for a moment. Just hearing about that story of a dog rescuing all her puppies from a fire is one you will likely remember, tell your friends about and share on Facebook. You likely won’t forget this story.
This little picture of Beth Childers (on the left) is the only one I could find on the Internet. Shouldn’t her image and story be as well known as the dog from Chile?
My question is this, how many people in the general public or in the fire service know the name Beth Childers? If you don’t know the name, how many remember her story from Alabama just a month ago?
My goal is not to criticize anyone for liking the images and the story from Chile. I was touched by them too. I just think it would be nice to put the same effort we do in celebrating the human characteristics we find in animals into celebrating the human characteristics we find in some of the extraordinary humans among us. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Beth Childers story went viral too?
The fire broke out at the home of two volunteer firefighters early Wednesday morning at their home on County Road 50.
Investigators said a man woke to find his house fully engulfed. He was able to get out with his 17-year-old daughter while his wife, 42-year-old Beth Childers, went back in to save their 2-year-old grandson.
“We lost her as a hero saving her own grandson,” said (Anderson Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department) Assistant Fire Chief John White. “It’s been tough, a real tough morning losing one of our own members, and the way we lost her.”
“She went to the back of the house, to the bedroom window where the grandson was at and made entry through a window,” said Chief White. “She then handed the child out to her 17-year-old daughter.”
42-year-old Beth Childers died saving her 2-year-old grandson’s life.
Anderson fire fighters say Childers fearlessly put herself in harm’s way.
Wigginton says Scott Childers, who is also a volunteer firefighter, ran back into the house twice looking for his wife, but was unable to find her before the heat and smoke forced him back outside. Firefighters from Rogersville, Lexington and Elgin assisted Anderson with the call. Beth Childer’s body wasn’t discovered until firefighters brought the flames under control.
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