pOur thoughts and prayers go out to the families and the members of the Webster NY Firefighters who were shot while arriving on scene at a working structure fire the day before Christmas.nbspnbspnbsp Please keep all of those involved in your thoughts during this difficult time.. ppBelow is the story as appeared on NorthJersey.ComppWEBSTER N.Y. As the nation tries to recover from the massacre of schoolchildren in Connecticut another horrific shooting left two firefighters dead and two more wounded early Monday in upstate New York.ppstrongRelated a classheadlink hrefhttpwww.northjersey.comnewscrimecourtsMotiveamysteryinNYambushdeathsof2firemen.html fcksavedurlhttpwww.northjersey.comnewscrimecourtsMotiveamysteryinNYambushdeathsof2firemen.htmlMotive a mystery in NY ambush deaths of 2 firemenastrongppA paroled killer gunned down the firefighters after luring them to his neighborhood by setting a car and a house ablaze. He then took shots at police and committed suicide while several homes burned.ppAuthorities used an armored vehicle to help residents flee dozens of homes on the shore of Lake Ontario the day before Christmas. Police restricted access to the neighborhood and officials said it was not clear whether other bodies were in the seven houses left to burn.ppThe gunman was identified as William Spengler 62 who until 1998 had spent 17 years in prison for manslaughter.ppHis motive for the ambush was unknown. The sister of the gunman who lived with him was unaccounted for.ppThe gunman fired at the four firefighters when they arrived shortly after 530 a.m. at the blaze in Webster a suburb of Rochester town Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. The first police officer who arrived chased the suspect and exchanged gunfire.ppSpengler lay in wait outdoors for the firefighters arrival then opened fire probably with a rifle and from atop an earthen berm Pickering said.ppIt does appear it was a trap he said.ppSpengler had been in prison for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980 at the house next to where Mondays attack happened Pickering said at afternoon news conference. Spengler was paroled in 1998 and had led a quiet life since authorities said. Convicted felons are not allowed to possess weapons.ppTwo firefighters one of whom was also a town police lieutenant died at the scene and two others were hospitalized. An off-duty officer who was passing by was also injured.ppAnother police officer the one who exchanged gunfire with Spengler in all likelihood saved many lives Pickering said.ppEmergency radio communications capture someone saying he could see the muzzle flash coming at me as Spengler carried out his ambush. The audio posted on the website RadioReference.com has someone reporting firefighters are down and saying got to be rifle or shotgun high powered … semi or fully auto.ppSpengler lived in the house with his sister and mother Arline who died in October. He had originally been charged with second-degree murder in connection with grandmother Rose Spenglers death but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.ppA friend said William Spengler didnt seem violent but hated his sister. Roger Vercruysse lived next door to Spengler and recalled a man who doted on his mother whose obituary suggested contributions to the West Webster Fire Department.ppHe loved his mama to death said Vercruysse who last saw his friend about six months ago. I think after his mama passed he went crazy.ppVercruysse also said Spengler couldnt stand his sister and stayed on one side of the house and she stayed on the other.ppThe West Webster Fire District learned of the fire early Monday after a report of a car and house on fire on Lake Road on a narrow peninsula where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario Monroe County Sheriff Patrick OFlynn said.ppTwo of the firefighters arrived on a fire engine and two in their own vehicles Pickering said. After Spengler fired one of the wounded men managed to flee but the other three couldnt because of flying gunfire.ppA police armored vehicle was used to recover two men and eventually it evacuated 33 people from nearby homes the police chief said. The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blazes.ppThe dead men were identified as Police Lt. Michael Chiapperini 43 the Webster Police Departments public information officer and Tomasz Kaczowka also a 911 dispatcher whose age was not released.ppPickering described Chiapperini as a lifetime firefighter with nearly 20 years in the department and called Kaczowka a tremendous young man.ppThe two wounded firefighters Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino were in guarded condition in the intensive care unit at Strong Memorial Hospital authorities said. Both were awake and alert and are expected to recover.ppHofstetter also a full-timer with the Rochester Fire Department was hit once in the pelvis and the bullet lodged in his spine authorities said. Scardino was hit in the chest and knee.ppSome lawmakers have gone as far as proposing that any teacher with a permit to carry a concealed weapon be allowed to bring it into school.ppAt West Webster Fire Station 1 there were at least 20 bouquets on a bench in front and a bouquet of roses with three gold-and-white ribbons saying May they rest in peace In the line of duty and In memory of our fallen brothers.ppA handwritten sign says Thanks for protecting us RIP. Two candles were lit to honor the dead.ppGrieving firefighters declined to talk to reporters.ppThe shooting and fires were in a neighborhood of seasonal and year-round homes set close together across the road from the lakeshore. The area is popular with recreational boaters but is normally quiet this time of year.ppWe have very few calls for service in that location Pickering said. Webster is a tremendous community. We are a safe community and to have a tragedy befall us like this is just horrendous.ppNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state police and Office of Emergency Management were working with local authorities.ppVolunteer firefighters and police officers were injured and two were taken from us as they once again answered the call of duty Cuomo said in a statement. We as the community of New York mourn their loss as now two more families must spend the holidays without their loved ones.ppWebster a middle-class suburb now is the scene of violence linked to house fires for two Decembers in a row.ppThis article contains material from the Los Angeles Times.p
