Police kill suspect after upstate New York shooting spree

USPA News - Police in upstate New York stormed an abandoned building Thursday where a man was hiding after carrying out a deadly shooting rampage in the area, triggering a firefight which resulted in the deaths of the suspect and a police dog, officials said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said a SWAT team came under fire when they entered the building in Herkimer at around 8 a.m. local time on Thursday to bring an end to the situation.

"Law enforcement officials entered the building and, after being fired upon, shot and killed the suspect," he said. Cuomo said there were no injuries to law enforcement officials, but an FBI police dog was fatally shot. "We commend the courage and extraordinary efforts of the state police, the FBI, and local law enforcement officials in finding the suspect and ending this horrific spree of violence and bloodshed," he said. Myers, of Mohawk in Herkimer County, was accused of carrying out two deadly shootings on Wednesday morning before becoming holed up hours later in the abandoned building. The spree of violence began just before 9:30 a.m. local time when Myers allegedly set his house on fire. As emergency teams reached the site of the fire, Myers went to a local barber shop where he opened fire with a shotgun, killing two people and injuring two others. He then took his car and continued his way to a car wash in the nearby village of Herkimer, where he killed two more people. The burst of violence in the normally quiet towns lasted less than 10 minutes and sparked a massive manhunt in the region. Authorities located Myers` vehicle outside an abandoned building in Herkimer at around 1 p.m. local time, and responding police officers were soon fired upon from inside the building. The motive behind Wednesday`s shooting spree was not immediately clear, and the suspect had no known history of violence. Myers` only arrest took place in 1973 when he was taken into custody for drunk driving, according to official records. New York State Police identified the victims who were killed at John`s Barber Shop as 68-year-old Harry M. Montgomery and 57-year-old Michael G. Rancier. The victims who died at Gaffy`s Jiffy Lube car wash were identified as employee Thomas Stefka and Michael L. Renshaw, who was a 20-year veteran of the state`s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. "It is now time for mourning those who we lost in this senseless act of violence," Cuomo said on Thursday. "In the darkest of times, the bravery, kindness, and the spirit of community of New Yorkers shines the brightest, and that is what we saw yesterday in Herkimer and Mohawk as the community came together during this difficult time. The thoughts and prayers of my family and of all New Yorkers are with the friends and loved ones of the victims."