NORTH CODORUS, Pa. (AP/ KYW Newsradio) — Three police officers were killed and two others were critically wounded during a domestic-related call in York County on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. The gunman was also killed.
The shooting happened in North Codorus Township, about 115 miles west of Philadelphia. Officers arrived on the scene to follow up on a domestic-related investigation that began Tuesday, according to Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris.
“There are simply no words that I can offer to assuage the grief that this community has experienced, and unfortunately will continue to experience,” Paris said. “The grief will be unbearable, but we will bear it.”
Officials did not share further details and did not identify anyone involved, due to the ongoing investigation. The two wounded officers were reported to be in critical but stable condition.
Paris said there’s no active threat in the area, and that the investigation is being aided by agencies including the FBI.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he met with the families of the victims, and he addressed the issue of gun violence in Wednesday evening’s press briefing.
“These families took time to tell us how proud they are of their loved ones,” Shapiro said. “It’s an extraordinary thing these law enforcement families do. They support the individual who puts on the uniform and runs toward danger.”
Shapiro also used the briefing to call for broader reforms.
“We need to do better as a society,” he said. “We need to help the people who think picking up a weapon is the answer to resolving disputes. We need to do better when it comes to mental health so we don’t have to deal with tragedies like this.”
Attorney General Dave Sunday, a long-time York County prosecutor, said the loss was “unfathomable.”
“Having served alongside these officers, I know of their caliber, their professionalism, and the lasting impact they had on our community,” Sunday said. “This loss is a heart-wrenching reminder of the sacrifices police officers and other first responders make every single day.
He called the officers “heroes” who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public. Hours after the violence, community members held American flags and saluted as police and emergency vehicles formed a procession to the coroner’s office.
It marks one of the deadliest days for Pennsylvania police this century. In 2009, three Pittsburgh officers responding to a domestic disturbance were ambushed and shot to death by a man in a bulletproof vest.
Shapiro has ordered U.S. and Pennsylvania flags to be flown at half-staff. This comes just about seven months after a shooting at a hospital in Shiloh, York County, killed West York Police Officer Andrew Duarte.