Mon Dec 24, 2012, 04:04 PM

dynasaw (967 posts)

Gunman who ambushed firefighters killed grandmother in 1980, police say

Source: NBC News

"The gunman who ambushed four volunteer firefighters, killing two, in upstate New York had spent 17 years in prison for beating his grandmother to death in 1980, police said.

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Williams Spengler opened fire on the volunteers as they responded to a blaze just before 6 a.m. ET in a small cluster of homes along Lake Ontario in Webster, N.Y., police said, rocking this close-knit community.
The 62-year-old convicted felon had apparently set a trap, firing on the first responders from atop an earthen berm. . .

He was convicted of manslaughter in 1981 after the death of his grandmother, Rose Spengler, and was paroled in 1998.
Spengler's 67-year-old sister Cheryl Spengler is unaccounted for, Pickering said. Spengler lived in the house with his sister and mother, Arline, who died in October.
Prior to Monday's shooting, Webster police had not had any run-ins with Spengler since he was paroled, they said.
Police would not say what kinds of guns Spengler used, but as a convicted felon, he could not legally own firearms."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/24/16125861-gunman-who-ambushed-firefighters-killed-grandmother-in-1980-police-say?lite

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/24/16125861-gunman-who-ambushed-firefighters-killed-grandmother-in-1980-police-say?lite

Note "as a convicted felon, he could not legally own firearms." but he did nevertheless.

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71 replies	Author	Time	Post
Gunman who ambushed firefighters killed grandmother in 1980, police say (Original post)	dynasaw	Dec 2012	OP
UK has more details and pictures	riverbendviewgal	Dec 2012	#1
British sources always have more info	marshall	Dec 2012	#8
Mainly because they make up half of it	ProudToBeBlueInRhody	Dec 2012	#35
that is unfair	arely staircase	Dec 2012	#68
Another win for the NRA	realgreen	Dec 2012	#2
Yes! It certainly is a "banner" month for the NRA!	SoapBox	Dec 2012	#5
Why do want to deny this man his constitutional rights?	Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin	Dec 2012	#34
There is no bad publicity	Tunkamerica	Dec 2012	#50
Make the last registered owner fully 100% responsible for crimes with their guns.	_Liann_	Dec 2012	#3
Exactly this. Totally agree.	mostlyalurker	Dec 2012	#15
Liability insurance would make for more responsible gun owners as well.	SoCal Socialist	Dec 2012	#25
This should be required and also yearly license with mental evaluation.	Thinkingabout	Dec 2012	#32
Good point, and welcome to DU!	alp227	Dec 2012	#45
Why was this convicted killer even out of prison?	tradecenter	Dec 2012	#4
I guess they thought he was reformed	marshall	Dec 2012	#6
No shit. I'd love to hear from members of his parole board.	DollarBillHines	Dec 2012	#7
Thank you..spot on	SummerSnow	Dec 2012	#9
And it looks like the governor in 1998 could have intervened	alp227	Dec 2012	#46
Manslaughter carries a 5-15 year sentence	alcibiades_mystery	Dec 2012	#64
A plea bargain.	caseymoz	Dec 2012	#47
He should have been paroled to a mental institute.	JohnnyRingo	Dec 2012	#10
Collateral damage from belief in Republicans.	Festivito	Dec 2012	#16
Very true.	oldbanjo	Dec 2012	#27
I read the other day, that there is only about 200 mental health hospitals left in the country.	justice1	Dec 2012	#43
I think there's less.	JohnnyRingo	Dec 2012	#52
because	PD Turk	Dec 2012	#33
Probably had to make some room for all those non-violent pot offenders	toddwv	Dec 2012	#58
With More Death - The NRA And Gun Apologists Win Again - When Will We Demand This Madness Ends	cantbeserious	Dec 2012	#11
Now where would a convicted felon buy an assault rifle?	Botany	Dec 2012	#12
The crescent. n/t	Igel	Dec 2012	#19
"The Punisher" skull, I like.	-..__...	Dec 2012	#29
worse	DonCoquixote	Dec 2012	#31
Yeah, I read a lot of those	Kolesar	Dec 2012	#53
Maybe a relative owned it.	caseymoz	Dec 2012	#49
At the drug racketeer bazarre!	Kolesar	Dec 2012	#54
Oh Goodie! Kids under 12 get in FREE W/ an adult!!!!!	Pachamama	Dec 2012	#60
also there is a link to some FEMA camp economic collapse horse shit too	Botany	Dec 2012	#63
So now we need to arm the firefighters too?	Cobalt Violet	Dec 2012	#13
No, Mr Le Peu thinks that every fire should have its own security guard	intaglio	Dec 2012	#17
Not again...	secondvariety	Dec 2012	#14
As long as there are a shitload of arms out there, any lunatic with a couple dollars can	valerief	Dec 2012	#18
Yes	Mojorabbit	Dec 2012	#21
As long as there are drug users, guns will be easy to get.	oldbanjo	Dec 2012	#28
What?	Bradical79	Dec 2012	#57
He beat his grandmother to death, and was only charged with manslaughter.	ywcachieve	Dec 2012	#20
Bingo!	Tuesday Afternoon	Dec 2012	#24
Especially considering he used a hammer to beat his grandmother to death.	LisaL	Dec 2012	#38
Note!!!!	heaven05	Dec 2012	#22
House to house search and seizure is our only hope	FrodosPet	Dec 2012	#70
pretty drastic	heaven05	Dec 2012	#71
The system failed society. That man/monster should've never been let out of prison.	Tuesday Afternoon	Dec 2012	#23
Riddle me this	quakerboy	Dec 2012	#26
I don't have an answer for you... HOWEVER..	left coaster	Dec 2012	#30
Not at all	quakerboy	Dec 2012	#40
Both brother and sister were living with the mother. Mother recently died.	LisaL	Dec 2012	#37
Alter the question slightly	quakerboy	Dec 2012	#41
She was his mother. Enough said.	LisaL	Dec 2012	#42
Did this mother ever abort a baby?	Superbot	Dec 2012	#44
And what does that have to do with a price of tea in China?	LisaL	Dec 2012	#48
He has been shown the door. eom	uppityperson	Dec 2012	#62
Who has been shown the door?	LisaL	Dec 2012	#65
Superbot has been ppr'd so won't be around to answer you. Sorry for not being clear.	uppityperson	Dec 2012	#66
Thanks.	LisaL	Dec 2012	#67
I would suspect it's a matter of economics.	Remmah2	Dec 2012	#69
How the fuck was this piece of shit walking free....	ProudToBeBlueInRhody	Dec 2012	#36
If you kill another person	Superbot	Dec 2012	#39
We don't have mandatory life sentences for all killers.	Comrade Grumpy	Dec 2012	#61
Report says he had a rifle with 30 round magazine	exboyfil	Dec 2012	#51
Our paper reports that according to an old neighbor,	eilen	Dec 2012	#55
Even if you do know that before you move in, what if some of your neighbors sells their home?	raccoon	Dec 2012	#56
People with pot growing in their closet	tabasco	Dec 2012	#59

Response to dynasaw (Original post)

Mon Dec 24, 2012, 04:11 PM

riverbendviewgal (2,461 posts)

1. UK has more details and pictures

but his missing sister is not reported.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2252856/Christmas-Eve-gun-horror-Two-firemen-shot-dead-assault-rifle-gunman-set-blaze-lure-deadly-trap.html

Gunman who ambushed firefighters killed grandmother in 1980, police say

1. UK has more details and pictures

8. British sources always have more info

35. Mainly because they make up half of it

68. that is unfair

2. Another win for the NRA

5. Yes! It certainly is a "banner" month for the NRA!

34. Why do want to deny this man his constitutional rights?

50. There is no bad publicity

3. Make the last registered owner fully 100% responsible for crimes with their guns.

15. Exactly this. Totally agree.

25. Liability insurance would make for more responsible gun owners as well.

32. This should be required and also yearly license with mental evaluation.

45. Good point, and welcome to DU!

4. Why was this convicted killer even out of prison?

6. I guess they thought he was reformed

7. No shit. I'd love to hear from members of his parole board.

9. Thank you..spot on

46. And it looks like the governor in 1998 could have intervened

64. Manslaughter carries a 5-15 year sentence

47. A plea bargain.

10. He should have been paroled to a mental institute.

16. Collateral damage from belief in Republicans.

27. Very true.

43. I read the other day, that there is only about 200 mental health hospitals left in the country.

52. I think there's less.

33. because

58. Probably had to make some room for all those non-violent pot offenders

11. With More Death - The NRA And Gun Apologists Win Again - When Will We Demand This Madness Ends

12. Now where would a convicted felon buy an assault rifle?

19. The crescent. n/t

29. "The Punisher" skull, I like.

31. worse

53. Yeah, I read a lot of those

49. Maybe a relative owned it.

54. At the *drug racketeer* bazarre!

60. Oh Goodie! Kids under 12 get in FREE W/ an adult!!!!!

63. also there is a link to some FEMA camp economic collapse horse shit too

13. So now we need to arm the firefighters too?

17. No, Mr Le Peu thinks that every fire should have its own security guard

14. Not again...

18. As long as there are a shitload of arms out there, any lunatic with a couple dollars can

21. Yes

28. As long as there are drug users, guns will be easy to get.

57. What?

20. He beat his grandmother to death, and was only charged with manslaughter.

24. Bingo!

38. Especially considering he used a hammer to beat his grandmother to death.

22. Note!!!!

70. House to house search and seizure is our only hope

71. pretty drastic

23. The system failed society. That man/monster should've never been let out of prison.

26. Riddle me this

30. I don't have an answer for you... HOWEVER..

40. Not at all

37. Both brother and sister were living with the mother. Mother recently died.

41. Alter the question slightly

42. She was his mother. Enough said.

44. Did this mother ever abort a baby?

48. And what does that have to do with a price of tea in China?

62. He has been shown the door. eom

65. Who has been shown the door?

66. Superbot has been ppr'd so won't be around to answer you. Sorry for not being clear.

67. Thanks.

69. I would suspect it's a matter of economics.

36. How the fuck was this piece of shit walking free....

39. If you kill another person

61. We don't have mandatory life sentences for all killers.

51. Report says he had a rifle with 30 round magazine

55. Our paper reports that according to an old neighbor,

56. Even if you do know that before you move in, what if some of your neighbors sells their home?

59. People with pot growing in their closet

54. At the drug racketeer bazarre!