Three officers were killed and two remain in critical but stable condition after a suspect opened fire while law enforcement officials attempted to serve a warrant Wednesday afternoon in rural central Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris said.
The shooting suspect is dead after being shot by police, officials said.
Law enforcement officers were on their way to arrest the shooter after a charge of stalking and criminal trespass was filed Wednesday in York County, law enforcement sources told CNN.
The shooter appeared to be lying in wait when officers arrived, the sources said.
The shooting unfolded on Haar Road in North Codorus Township, a pastoral area of York County dotted with small barns and sprawling farm land about 2 1/2 hours west of Philadelphia.
A medevac helicopter would later be spotted in one of the area’s grassy fields, flanked by the winding road lit up by flashing lights from several responding fire engines, police cars and ambulances.
This is the second farm community marred by officer-involved gun violence in the state this year, officials noted. Last month, a 61-year-old man in Susquehanna County shot two state troopers on a highway after officials says he killed his neighbor. He was fatally shot by police.
A person holds an American flag before a procession after multiple police officers were shot and killed on Wednesday. – Matt Slocum/AP
The threat of gun violence is not something those living in North Codorus Township are used to, according to resident Dave Miller.
Law enforcement officials have the tough task of keeping communities safe in a changing world, Miller told CNN. “This isn’t a big city. This is wide open spaces,” Miller added.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro asked the public to think of the families of the officers wounded and killed.
“It’s an extraordinary thing what these law enforcement families do. They support the individual who puts on the uniform and runs toward danger,” Shapiro said in a news conference Wednesday. “They’re there for them when they leave in the morning, and they pray throughout the day that they will come home at night.”
Officials did not identify the officers involved and which law enforcement agency they worked for.
“The death of any public servant is an absolute tragedy,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement.
“Learning that three officers were killed in York County where I worked for many years as a prosecutor, and where I still call home, is unfathomable,” he added.
First responders work the scene after several people were injured during a shooting on Wednesday. – Matt Slocum/AP
The FBI along with agents from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are supporting local officials, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in an X post Wednesday afternoon.
“Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable. Pray for the officers involved,” Bondi added.
Bondi reached out to Shapiro directly, he said, noting that the state will get the full support of the federal government as it continues its investigation into the incident.
Shapiro also addressed the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States, saying, “We need to do better as a society. We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon is the answer to resolving disputes.”
So far this year, 37 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty, according to data from the FBI. A total of 64 officer deaths involved a crime in 2024, the data shows.
CNN’s John Miller contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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