A 67-year-old Pennsylvania man stopped a deadly active shooter incident at the most unlikely of places: A gun range. The shooting took place Dec. 22 at the the Pennsylvania State Game Land 109 shooting range in Greene Township. The shooter, identified as 26-year-old Robert Eppley, died at the scene.
Armed Citizen Fatally Shoots Robert Eppley
The fatal incident began when two men, one with a recently purchased pistol, took turns shooting, reported GoErie.com. Suddenly, with no known motive, Eppley allegedly turned and began firing up-range. He allegedly took several shots, hitting and wounding his friend multiple times.
Then in an adjacent shooting lane, an armed citizen decided to act. Described as a 67-year-old Erie man, the man returned fire at the active shooter, putting him down. Police pronounced Eppley dead at the scene from a gunshot to the torso, reported GoErie.com.
Police don’t know of any altercation during the shooting session that might have lead to the armed assault. The investigation remains ongoing.
“At this point, we are continuing to investigate the back story, the relationship between these two individuals, to determine why the shooting occurred,” Lt. Mark Weindorf, crime section supervisor for state police Troop E, told GoErie.com.
Police eventually questioned and released the Good Samaritan who undoubtably saved lives on the range. Meanwhile, officials transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment. He received multiple gunshot wounds during the attack, but the hospital released him later that night.
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