Ross Township Municipal Building shooting

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Coordinates: 40°53′50″N 75°19′56″W / 40.89733°N 75.33220°W / 40.89733; -75.33220
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Ross Township Municipal Building shooting
LocationRoss Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DateAugust 5, 2013
Attack type
Triple murder, mass shooting
Weapons
Deaths3
Injured4 (including the perpetrator)
PerpetratorRockne Warren Newell
MotiveLand dispute

The Ross Township Municipal Building shooting occurred just after 7:00 p.m. on August 5, 2013, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, United States, a small town in Monroe County. A gunman went on a shooting rampage at a public meeting of township supervisors in the municipal building, leaving three people dead and three others injured. The gunman, identified as Rockne Newell, was described as having long feuded with township officials.[1]

While approaching the building, Newell fired a .223 Ruger Mini-14 rifle into the building 28 times, through windows. Then, he went back to his car to retrieve a 6-shot .44 Magnum Revolver before entering the building and the meeting room. There, he began shooting the handgun at meeting attendees. While the gunman was still shooting, two men struggled with him over the gun. They subdued, disarmed, and held him, preventing further deaths and injuries.

Linda Kozic, Frank Pirano, and Howard Beers were injured; while David Fleetwood, Gerard Kozic, and James "Vinny" LaGuardia were fatally wounded. During the struggle over the gun with Bernard Kozen and Mark Krashe, the gunman was wounded in the leg with his own weapon.[2][3][4]

Legal proceedings[edit]

Attorneys William Ruzzo and Michael E. Weinstein were assigned to Newell's defense in August 2013,[5] and remained his attorneys for the duration of the trial. Newell pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree murder and attempted murder charges on May 29, 2015, and was sentenced to three life terms as well as an additional 61 to 122 years for the attempted murder charges and is currently imprisoned in the State Correctional Institution – Rockview[6][7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pa. Man charged with killing 3: Town stole my home". 6 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Pa. State Police: Feud With Township Officials Motive In Shooting At Municipal Building « CBS Philly". Philadelphia.cbslocal.com. 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  3. ^ "Township official honored for saving others in shooting rampage at municipal building". 22 December 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Photos: Staten Island's James LaGuardia, slain at Pennsylvania town meeting, is fondly remembered at funeral". 13 August 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Rockne Newell gets his defense team".
  6. ^ McDonald, Joe. Pennsylvania man gets life for rampage at Pocono building, Reuters, May 29, 2015.
  7. ^ "Inmate/Parolee Locator".

40°53′50″N 75°19′56″W / 40.89733°N 75.33220°W / 40.89733; -75.33220

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