NY firemen's killer mapped out plan for slayings
Source: AP-Excite
By GEORGE M. WALSH and MARY ESCH
WEBSTER, N.Y. (AP) - The ex-con turned sniper who killed two firefighters wanted to make sure his goodbye note was legible, typing out his desire to "do what I like doing best, killing people" before setting the house where he lived with his sister ablaze, police said.
Police Chief Gerald Pickering said Tuesday that the 62-year-old loner, William Spengler, brought plenty of ammunition with him for three weapons including a military-style assault rifle as he set out on a quest to burn down his neighborhood just before sunrise on Christmas Eve.
And when firefighters arrived to stop him, he unleashed a torrent of bullets, shattering the windshield of the fire truck that volunteer firefighter and police Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, drove to the scene. Fellow firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, who worked as a 911 dispatcher, was killed as well.
Two other firefighters were struck by bullets, one in the pelvis and the other in the chest and knee. They remained hospitalized in stable condition and were expected to survive.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20121226/DA3DEPBG0.html
This undated image provided by the West Webster fire department shows firefighter Lt. Michael Chiapperini. Chiapperini, 43, also the Webster Police Department's public information officer, was killed when William Spengler, 62, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer killing of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle before he set his house on fire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/West Webster Fire Department)
This undated image provided by the West Webster fire department shows firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka. Tomasz Kaczowka. 19, was killed when William Spengler, 62, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer killing of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle before he set his house on fire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/West Webster Fire Department)
booley
(3,855 posts)if anyone says now fire fighters should be armed so this doesn't happen, I will scream.
and please understand, it's not as if I am upset about this but at this point this sort of thing has become "normal"
I just cant' act as if I am shocked anymore
Remmah2
(3,291 posts)Prisons are over crowded and reform is not happening within them.
I would be interested in knowing this guys employment status, substance abuse status and mental health status. It was not a cool thing to kill his grandma with a hammer. As a society did we set him up to fail when he was paroled?
My kid brother is a volunteer fireman/Lt on his first aid squad. Even after this his department is more concerned about contracting hepatitis or aids then they are about the ex-con above. They've also encountered massive quantities of illegal fireworks and two meth labs.
Chorophyll
(5,179 posts)Shit like this does NOT happen everywhere. But it happens constantly in the US.
And I do not think we have more than our fair share of crazy people.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)shenmue
(38,501 posts)WinstonSmith4740
(3,048 posts)in the hands of crazy felons, that'll solve all our problems. What could possibly go wrong?
My heart truly goes out to the families...what a horrible holiday season this has been for too many people. This must stop.
Cynicus Emeritus
(172 posts)and that will soon eliminate the threat....
We've somehow allowed the Bill of Rights to be overridden by those like Mayor Bloomberg who crushed OWS only because they were a peaceful threat to the exposure of crooked bankers.
Soon they will bring in armed drones to protect the oligarchs and elite such as Bloomberg who have Blackwater security and machine guns to prevent those who choose to peacefully demonstrate. Will they will use armed drones to take out anyone not aligned with their interests or those of corporations like Facebook.
Keep thinking the threat to the USA is from average Americans who choose to possess or use firearms for sport.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/21/coming-drone-attack-america