Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens stated at a news conference that troopers fatally shot Ricky Shannon, 22, after he fired at them from his pickup truck. Bivens added that upon approaching the truck, officers discovered a 19-year-old woman inside who had also been fatally shot.
According to police, earlier that morning, Shannon had gone to an apartment in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, where he opened fire on three of the woman’s family members, killing one before leaving the scene with the 19-year-old.
The exact timing and circumstances of the 19-year-old’s shooting remain unclear and are part of the ongoing investigation, Bivens noted. He suggested that “it’s possible she was shot in the residence.”
On Tuesday, Shannon had taken out a protection-from-abuse order against the woman, who then obtained a reciprocal order against him two days later on Thursday. Shannon was served with this order around 1 a.m. on Friday, after which he drove more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) from Altoona to the residence in Mount Joy.
Bivens explained, “Clearly there was some kind of a domestic disagreement between both. The shooting occurred almost immediately upon his arrival there. So it appears that there was likely some thought given and the whole thing transpired very quickly once he arrived.”
The first emergency call was received at 4:15 a.m. Police in Mount Joy located Shannon’s red pickup truck within minutes, initiating a high-speed chase that lasted more than 30 minutes, with speeds reaching up to 100 mph. During the pursuit, Shannon’s truck traveled in the wrong direction at times and was involved in several collisions, though other motorists were reportedly not seriously injured, according to Bivens.
The pursuit came to an end in Reed Township, Dauphin County, north of Harrisburg, where police forced the truck to a stop. Shannon immediately began shooting, striking multiple patrol cars.
“He left them really no option but to return fire,” Bivens said.
Police only discovered the 19-year-old woman in the truck after moving in to aid Shannon, with darkness, tinted windows, and deployed airbags hindering their view, Bivens explained.
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo indicated that investigators are currently reviewing dashboard and body camera footage from the scene. He noted that the investigation is expected to take time.
