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2 firefighters shot, killed while battling New York blaze
(CNN) -- At least two firefighters were killed when they were shot after arriving to battle a blaze at a house in upstate New York on Monday, officials said.
Two other firefighters were injured, police in Webster, New York, told reporters.
Authorities believe someone shot at the firefighters shortly after they exited their vehicles, said Rob Boutillier, fire marshal in the town of Webster, New York.
For hours, the gunfire stopped firefighters from working to extinguish the flames and forced police SWAT teams to evacuate homes in the area.
Firefighters arrived at the scene before 6 a.m., Boutillier said. By 9 a.m., flames had engulfed three houses and a vehicle, he said.
Doctors were treating the wounded firefighters Monday morning, said Teri D'Agostino, a spokeswoman for Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.
One firefighter escaped from the scene in his own vehicle about an hour after he was shot, then was transported to the hospital by an ambulance from another location, Boutillier said. He was listed in satisfactory condition, Boutillier said.
Another wounded firefighter was conscious and speaking when he was removed from the scene, Boutillier said.
"Our main concern right now is to have law enforcement evacuate the people in harm's way (and) make the scene safe for the fire department," Boutillier told reporters. "And then the fire department will go in and do its job."
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Great, one of these assholes. Why don't they set their houses on fire and then just kill themselves?
Oh, that's right. Because they are fucking batshit insane.
I hope to hell that the hue and cry about mental disease gets louder, because we obviously aren't dealing with it properly.
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(12-24-2012, 11:42 AM)Jimbone Wrote: I hope to hell that the hue and cry about mental disease gets louder, because we obviously aren't dealing with it properly.
Sadly, the (known) mentally ill get arrested, get put on their meds, deal with their cases, and get put back on the street; then they go off their meds and it starts all over again. Oddly, we are seeing more and more younger offenders coming into the system normal and then manifesting symptoms or flat out mental illness as they progress in their crimes. Its fucked up for sure.
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Yeah, I think there really needs to be a discussion about medication versus inpatient care and custody... because prisons aren't the right place for mental patients, and so many mental institutions have been shut down. That's why they end up back on the streets.
Someone also needs to invent a Voight-Kampff testing machine for the mentally imbalanced.
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This is where I am. I saw the fire while taking my charges to program. Found out about the shootings after the fact, because I wanted to go see what was burning. Kinda glad I didn't.
Thank god I am oblivious to the opinions of others while caught in the blinding splendor of my own cleverness.
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This is a local story for me. The fire chief is holding a press conference right now. The shooter is dead, after a stand off. They are unsure if it is self inflicted.
I used to live in Webster, when I first moved to the area. A very quiet, small town. The town motto is "Where Life is Worth Living".
The firefighters involved were volunteers with West Webster.
It seems the fires were deliberatly set, to trap the firefighters.
For local angle, one of the local news sources is www.whec.com
.
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I just can't even deal. What is going on??? Children being shot and now fire fighters.
Devil Money Stealing Aunt 
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Donovan..you are from around here too...who knew. Sad, isn't it.
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you can go to www.whec.com or www.13wham.com for local news video coverage.
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Christ in Heaven. This is sick, just sick. What a fucked up world we live in.
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shooter:
62 year old William Spengler
Arressted in 1980 cnvicted for killing grandmother. Served in prison until 98.
He had been living with relatives at the location that was set fire. Sister is unaccounted for. Yes, there is a history of mental illness.
Got this off the yelevision, nothing online yet. This info from a press conference with fire chief, which just ended.
Also present was NY's Lt Governor..who is formerly the Mayor of Rochester, Bob Duffy. He was also Chief of Rochester Police before being mayor.
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@QueenBee: Not from here originally, but it's been my home for close to 20 years and I've lived and worked in and around Webster most of that time. In fact, this morning I could see the fire from Victor while driving my people to work and I could tell it was big so I had a thought I might swing by the neighborhood to see what was going on since I have to go right up there. Glad now that I didn't.
One of the dead men was Mike Chiapperini, who was also a police lieutenant and highly decorated member of the Webster PD . He just won a Policeman of the year" award a couple weeks ago. The other dead man was a 911 dispatcher who was on his way to a long career with the FD. Fucked up...at least the shooter offed himself and saved us soime money and heartache. I hope his sister turns up okay but I seriously doubt it. Guy's prison sentence was for whacking his grandmother with a hammer.
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This is so sad & awful :(
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This, from CNN gives a fuller account of the background of the shooter.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/24/us/new-yor...?hpt=hp_t2
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One of the reports mentioned his mother died in October and "left instructions that donations be made to Webster volunteer fire department." that's significant I'm thinking. Nobody seems to have followed up on it yet.
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Yes, it was a larger event, but after Newtown, I am a bit cautious of first information coming out. I still think donations to the WFD in memory of the two firefighters would be appropriate,
I heard one of the men was just 19 years old.
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From the Associated Press today:
WEBSTER, N.Y. -- Police in Webster, N.Y., say the man who lured firefighters to their deaths in a blaze of gunfire left a typewritten note saying he wanted to burn down the neighborhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people."
Police Chief Gerald Pickering said Tuesday that the man's sister hasn't been found yet. He said 62-year-old ex-convict William Spengler armed himself with three weapons and set his house afire to lure first responders into a death trap.
Two firefighters were shot dead and two others are hospitalized. Spengler killed himself as seven houses burned around him Monday.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section...id=8931460
A convicted felon who reportedly had a history of mental illness armed with three weapons. Interested in finding out to whom they trace back (his family members or otherwise).
Looks like nothing in his note related to his sister's location; hope she's still alive but not counting on it.
RIP to the ambushed fire fighters.
ETA: This new release says that officers found remains in the family house and they believe that they are those of the sister.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/webster-gunman-...No3W07TnmI
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Stories say it would have been worse if the cop hadn't engaged the dude in a gunfight.
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Well..we now know where the convicted felon got the guns. He apparently got them from a former neighbor and her daughter. He named them in the note he left.
Here is the article: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/arti...ck_check=1
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