Webster home shooting

On December 24, 2012, a mass shooting and fire occurred at a home Webster, New York, United States. 62-year-old William H. Spengler set his home ablaze before firing upon responding firefighters and later-on, the police. He killed two firefighters and his sister before committing suicide.

Shooting
In the early morning hours, 62-year-old William H. Spengler set his house on fire, killing his sister, before arming himself with several guns, hiding across the street. Just after 5:30 A.M., firefighters arrived which is when Spengler began the shooting. He killed two of them and injured two others before police arrived. Spengler and responding officers engaged in a shootout and shortly thereafter, he ran away and shot himself in the head. Because of the shootings, firefighters had to wait until 11:30 A.M. to finally put out the fire. Six other houses were burned down due to the stall and two others were declared uninhabitable. Spengler was confirmed dead six hours after the shooting.

Victims
In total, three people were killed, two firefighters and the other being Spengler's sister. They deceased were:


 * Tomasz Kaczowka, 19
 * Michael Chiapperini, 43
 * Cheryl Spengler, 67

Firefighter Joseph Hofstetter was shot in the pelvis and the other firefighter, Theodore Scardino, was shot in the chest and knee. Responding officer Jon Ritter was minorly wounded when a bullet hit the windshield of his patrol car.

Perpetrator
William H. Spengler, 62, had spent almost two decades in prison for murdering his grandmother in 1980. He hated his older sister and his mother had died two months prior to the shooting. Due to the fact that he was a convicted felon, Spengler was ineligible of purchasing guns. His neighbor bought them for him; she received eight years in prison for the illegal straw man purchase.

Reactions
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated "All of our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of those who were killed in this senseless act of violence." NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the actions of the perished and wounded officers will not be forgotten. The New York Safe Act, a gun regulation law for New York state, changed in response to the shooting; an offender that killed a first responder would be sentenced to life in prison without parole.