2012 Webster shooting

Mass shooting in New York, U.S. December 2025 February 2025 2012 Webster shooting File:ChiapperiniKaczowkaMemorial.JPG Firefighter Memorial at the site of the shooting Memorial for Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka 191 Lake RoadWebster, New York, U.S. 43 14 13 N 77 31 22 W region:US-NY_type:event inline,title 2012 12 24 5:30 c. 11:00a.m. EST Murder-suicide arson shootout mass shooting 4 (including the perpetrator) 3 William H. Spengler Jr.William H Spengler identified as shooter, Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved December 24, 2012. * Bushmaster XM-15-E2S .223-caliber semi-automatic riflehttps://abcnews.go.com/US/webster-gunman-bushmaster-left-chilling-note/story?id=18062121 abc News Gunman William Spengler Used Bushmaster, Left Chilling Note December 25, 2012 Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver Mossberg 500 12-gauge pump-action shotgunhttps://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/04/08/testimony-nguyen-trial-continues-tuesday/7456723/# Texts, suicide note raised in Nguyen trial Riley David Democrat & Chronicle April 8, 2014 On December 24, 2012, an intentionally set house and vehicle fire was used to ambush first responders in Webster, New York, United States. The arsonist, 62-year-old William Spengler, shot at arriving firefighters and police officers, killing two and injuring three before committing suicide. He was found to have previously killed his sister, whose remains were found in the burned house. The shooting, as well as the Sandy Hook shooting which occurred ten days prior, served as an impetus for the NY SAFE Act which added strong restrictions to the state's gun laws. Shooting According to police, Spengler set his house on 191 Lake Road and the family car on fire in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, and then armed himself with three guns: a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 style rifle.http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/25/fire-trap-gunman-dead-after-killing-2-firefighters-at-scene-western-ny-blaze https://web.archive.org/web/20121225133158/http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/25/fire-trap-gunman-dead-after-killing-2-firefighters-at-scene-western-ny-blaze/ dead December 25, 2012 Fox News Channel Threatening note: Gunman penned details of deadly plans before setting fire December 26, 2012 December 27, 2012https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/04/08/testimony-nguyen-trial-continues-tuesday/7456723/# Texts, suicide note raised in Nguyen trial Riley David Democrat & Chronicle April 8, 2014 When firefighters arrived shortly after 5:30 a.m., Spengler ambushed them from an earthen berm across the street from his house. Two firefighters were killed, and two others were injured.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/william-spengler-set-trap_n_2362433.html William Spengler's Note Before Killing Webster Firefighters: 'Do What I Like Doing Best, Killing People' Huffington Post December 26, 2012 December 25, 2012 Spengler exchanged shots with police, who arrived with an armored truck to remove the firefighters and 33 nearby civilians.Goldman Russell Gunman, William Spengler, Shoots 4 Firefighters, Kills 2, in 'Trap' at Webster, NY, Blaze https://abcnews.go.com/US/gunman-shoots-firefighters-kills-trap-webster-ny-blaze/story?id=18055594 November 14, 2020 ABC News December 24, 2012 Spengler ran after getting shot at and died when he shot himself in the head. His body was discovered nearly six hours later.David Collins https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/webster-shooting-gunman-william-spengler-1504761 Firefighter ambush gunman had previously killed his gran in hammer horror attack Daily Mirror 25 December 2012 December 26, 2012https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ny-firefighter-shooting-update-gunman-idd-as-william-spengler-62-convicted-felon/ N.Y. Firefighter Shooting Update: Gunman ID'd as William Spengler, 62, convicted felon CBS News December 26, 2012http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/24/justice/new-york-firefighters-shooter/index.html N.Y. man who shot dead 2 firefighters killed grandmother in 1980 CNN April 13, 1970 December 26, 2012 Due to the shooting, fire crews were unable to resume fighting the blaze until 11:30 a.m. By then, six other houses had burned to the ground, and two others had been rendered uninhabitable.http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20121225/NEWS01/312250033 For some on Lake Road, no home to return to Nestor Ramos James Goodman Democrat and Chronicle December 25, 2012 dead https://archive.today/20130121111743/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20121225/NEWS01/312250033?nclick_check=1 January 21, 2013 Over 30 residents of the neighborhood were evacuated and kept warm on city buses.New York firefighters who survived deadly ambush thankful for support https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-firefighters-who-survived-deadly-ambush-thankful-for-support/ 10 January 2026 Fox News 26 March 2015 The severely burned body of Spengler's 67-year-old sister Cheryl, with whom he was living, was found at the scene. A two-to-three-page typewritten letter written by Spengler was also found. It reflected Spengler's intent to ambush first responders, but offered no motive for the shooting. In it, he wrote, "I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down, and do what I like doing best, killing people."Robbins Liz Goldstein Joseph 2 Firefighters Are Killed in Shooting Rampage Near Rochester https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/nyregion/gunman-who-shot-firefighters-left-chilling-note.html November 14, 2020 The New York Times December 25, 2012 Victims The two firefighters killed in the shooting were 43-year-old Michael Chiapperini, Past Chief of the West Webster Fire District and Lieutenant and public information officer for the Webster Police Department, and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka, who also worked as a 911 dispatcher. Chiapperini was shot once, and Kaczowka was shot twice.WALSH GEORGE M. Autopsy: NY gunman shot self, not hit by police https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/2012/12/27/autopsy-ny-gunman-shot-self/44835783007/ 2025-01-15 Utica Observer Dispatch en-US The two wounded firefighters were Joseph Hofstetter, who was shot in the pelvis (with the bullet then lodged in his spine), and Theodore Scardino, who was shot in the chest and knee. Both were hospitalized at Strong Memorial Hospital for serious injuries, and were declared to be in stable condition. In addition to the two wounded firefighters, police officer Jon Ritter was slightly injured when a bullet hit the windshield of his car. Perpetrator Police identified the gunman as 62-year-old local resident William H. Spengler Jr. (September 26, 1950 – December 24, 2012). Spengler previously spent 17 years in prison for murdering his 92-year-old grandmother Rose Spengler with a hammer in 1980. He was convicted of manslaughter for the crime.https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/fire-trap-gunman-dead-after-killing-2-firefighters-at-scene-of-western-ny-blaze/521-54e1068a-57e2-4ec9-9c79-c0317cef8a6b Fire ‘trap’: Gunman dead after killing 2 firefighters at scene of Western NY blaze Smith Amanda December 25, 2012 February 9, 2026 WPMT He had not attracted the attention of police since his release. William Spengler "could not stand" his sister Cheryl, according to a friend, Roger Vercruysse. Spengler's mother Arline, to whom he was said to have been close, died two months earlier. Investigators immediately began focusing on how Spengler obtained the gun. New York, like nearly all other states, bars convicted felons from buying, owning or possessing a firearm. Before the day was out, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms discovered that the Bushmaster rifle and the shotgun had been purchased in June 2010 at Gander Mountain in Henrietta, another Rochester suburb. The owner of record was Dawn Nguyen, a neighbor of Spengler, who had recently moved to the suburb of Greece. In an interview with agents that night, Nguyen admitted to buying the guns, but claimed they had then been stolen. However, according to investigators, Nguyen texted a Monroe County sheriff's deputy the next day and admitted buying the guns for Spengler in an illegal straw purchase. On December 28, William Hochul, the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, announced that Nguyen had been arrested and charged with knowingly making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. She also faced state charges of filing a false business record—the form she filled out stating that she was the owner of the guns.Police: Greece woman bought guns used in Webster firefighter ambush https://web.archive.org/web/20121231053420/http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/press-briefing-christmas-eve-shooting/TExgTyGD0EuBQnuZvjI5Zw.cspx 2012-12-31 . WHAM-TV, 2012-12-28.http://www.13wham.com/media/lib/16/2/5/9/259c554a-1d2b-4a0e-9e63-08c3fe1ffb79/dawn_nguyen_arrest_documents.pdf Criminal complaint against Dawn Nguyen 2012-12-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20130124025956/http://www.13wham.com/media/lib/16/2/5/9/259c554a-1d2b-4a0e-9e63-08c3fe1ffb79/dawn_nguyen_arrest_documents.pdf 2013-01-24 dead Nguyen was sentenced to eight years in prison for her involvement in 2014 and was released to a halfway house in December 2020.Greece Woman Sentenced for Supplying Guns Used in Christmas Eve Shooting https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/greece-woman-sentenced-supplying-guns-used-christmas-eve-shooting www.justice.gov 10 January 2026https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/17/dawn-nguyen-ny-firefighter-ambush-sentenced/15778133/ Woman tied to firefighter ambush sentenced to 8 years USA Today February 28, 2015 September 17, 2014Webster Spectrum News Staff West Dawn Nguyen Released After Serving Prison Term for Role in West Webster Ambush https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/crime/2020/12/22/dawn-nguyen-released-after-serving-prison-term-for-role-in-west-webster-ambush 2025-12-26 spectrumlocalnews.com en Reactions In a statement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, "All of our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of those who were killed in this senseless act of violence."Mach Andrew White Jason Human remains found at home of gunman who ambushed firefighters http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/25/16125861-human-remains-found-at-home-of-gunman-who-ambushed-firefighters 10 January 2026 NBC News 25 December 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130116075945/http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/25/16125861-human-remains-found-at-home-of-gunman-who-ambushed-firefighters 16 January 2013 New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also said, "The contributions made by the fallen and injured officers in Webster will never be forgotten."US firefighters shot dead in 'ambush' in New York state - BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-20838925 November 14, 2020 BBC News December 25, 2012 As part of the NY SAFE Act, the New York Penal Law section on aggravated murder was amended to increase penalties for murdering a first responder to life in prison without parole.New York Penal Law § 125.26 (1) (ii-a), found at New York State government website, retrieved September 17, 2014. The penalty increase was named the "Webster Provision" after the shooting.New York passes major gun control law -- first since Newtown massacre - NBCNews.com, January 15, 2013Cuomo Signs NY SAFE Act: 13 Provisions Of The New Gun Control Law - Huffingtonpost.com, January 16, 2013Gannett Jon Campbell New York Senate passes tough gun law https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/14/cuomo-new-york-guns/1833271/ 10 January 2026 USA TODAY 14 January 2013 See also 2025 Coeur d'Alene shooting, another mass shooting where a fire was intentionally set to lure firefighters into an ambush Gun violence in the United States References New York (state) Category:2012 crimes in New York (state) Category:2012 mass shootings in the United States Category:2012 murders in the United States Category:Arson in New York (state) Category:Arson in 2012 Category:Deaths by firearm in New York (state) Category:December 2012 crimes in the United States Category:Mass shootings in New York (state) Category:2012 mass murders Category:Monroe County, New York Category:Mass murders in New York (state) Category:Murder–suicides in New York (state) Category:Suicides by firearm in New York (state) Category:Mass shootings involving AR-15–style rifles Category:2010s mass murders in the United States Category:Shootouts in the United States Category:Sororicides Category:Anti-police violence in the United States