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“Two Webster firefighters are dead and several houses on Lake Road burned after someone opened fire on firefighters who responded to an early morning blaze, officials said. Two other firefighters are in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds, according to a hospital spokeswoman. An off-duty Greece police officer who was driving near the scene was injured by shrapnel. The dead are Lt. Mike Chiapperini, 43, a volunteer firefighter and the Webster Police Department’s public information officer, and Tomasz Kaczowka. Chiapperini led the fire department’s explorer program for high schoolers. Both men died at the scene. Kaczowka, in his early 20s, is also a 911 dispatcher. “These people get up in the middle of the night to fight fires. They don’t expect to be shot and killed,” Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said at a news conference just before noon. The shooter was found dead outside the home where the shootings occurred, killed by an apparent gunshot wound. ... Pickering said shots were fired at West Webster firefighters when they arrived on the scene. He said it appeared the shooter had set a trap for first responders. After the fire became a crime scene, firefighters were not able to resume fighting the blaze until roughly 11 a.m., after the shooter had been confirmed dead, Pickering said. In the meantime, the nearby houses became engulfed in flames.”

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, “Two Firefighters Dead, Two Injured in Webster; Shooter Found Dead.”

Go ahead, gun nuts.  Have at it and blame the firefighters for this one.

“New York State's 90,000 volunteer firefighters are all in mourning today over the tragic events in West Webster. We lost two of our own to a senseless act of violence that also left two additional firefighters seriously wounded. Our thoughts and prayers are with all four of these firefighters and their families. It is especially heartbreaking to know that these dedicated volunteer firefighters and their comrades left the comforts of their own homes and families early this Christmas Eve morning to respond to a fire in their community and were met with gunfire. We will all be here for the West Webster Fire Department in the days to come as they deal with this tragedy.”

—Statement from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York in regards to today’s fatal shootings.

Wait for the NRA to blame the firefighters for not being armed when they responded to the house fire.

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