Suspect identified in Pennsylvania police barracks ambush
Investigators name Eric Mathew Frein suspect
The suspect in the killing of a trooper and the critical wounding of another outside a rural barracks is a survivalist who has expressed a desire to kill law enforcement officers and commit mass murder, state police said Tuesday.
Eric Matthew Frein, 31, of Canadensis, Pa., is still armed with the .308-caliber rifle that he used to open fire on the barracks late Friday, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said at a news conference where he revealed the suspect's name.
Noonan called Frein "extremely dangerous."
"He has made statements about wanting to kill law enforcement officers and also to commit mass acts of murder," Noonan said. "What his reasons are, we don't know. But he has very strong feelings about law enforcement and seems to be very angry with a lot of things that go on in our society."
Frein was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and other offenses. About 200 law enforcement officials are combing the rural area of northeastern Pennsylvania marked by dense forest, but "we have no idea where he is," Noonan said.
Frein lived about 20 miles from the ambush site and lived with his parents until a few months ago, Lehigh Valley Live reported.
A gunman killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass outside the barracks during a late-night shift change, then slipped away.
Authorities were led to Frein after a resident who was walking his dog in a wooded area 2 miles from the barracks spotted a vehicle slightly submerged in a pond and called 911. In the vehicle, police found shell casings that matched those found at the shooting scene, Noonan said.
Investigators also found Frein's Social Security card, a Pennsylvania Game Commission range permit, camouflage face paint, a black hooded sweatshirt, two empty rifle cases and military gear, Noonan said.
The Times-Tribune reported Tuesday that there is a thick forest about 50 yards from the front door.
Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were helping with the investigation. Authorities pored over old cases investigated by the two troopers -- and by others in the barracks and elsewhere -- in hopes of turning up a suspect.
"We have been through any number of complex investigations, they take time," said Lt. Col. George Bivens, of the Pennsylvania State Troopers. "I know we have the A-team here."
As the manhunt continued, Dickson's family prepared for his funeral, to be held Thursday at a Catholic cathedral in Scranton. Dickson, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the state police in 2007 and had worked as a patrol unit supervisor in the Blooming Grove barracks since June, is survived by his wife of 10 years and two young sons.
Douglass, a nine-year veteran, was conscious and talking for the first time since he underwent surgery, and investigators planned to interview him.
Earlier Monday, Gov. Tom Corbett said investigators won't rest until they capture the gunman, and asked the public to "pray for the soul" of Dickson. The governor, who toured the crime scene, called Dickson's killing an assassination and planned to meet with family members.
"This is an assault that was not only just on the individual troopers, it's an assault on the state police, it's an assault on law enforcement, it's an assault on society," Corbett said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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