The gunman who killed three people and injured three others after opening fire on a municipal meeting in Ross Township, Pa. used a Ruger Mini-14 .223 caliber rifle and a .44 Magnum handgun, Pennsylvania State Police said at a press conference Tuesday.
According to the police, the gunman fired over 20 shots from the rifle before returning to his car to get the handgun to continue shooting.
Ruger advertises its Mini-14 line of rifles as “the choice for applications ranging from the farm and ranch, to the deep woods, to personal defense.”
“Their short barrels and overall short length make them favorites in any application where maneuverability and ease of handling are priorities,” the Ruger site says.
Rockne Newell, a man who had been engaged in a lengthy property dispute with local officials, has been charged with the shooting. Witnesses said Newell was stopped when a man tackled him, causing Newell to be shot in the leg with his own gun. According to the Pocono Record, police said Newell was shouting about wanting to shoot more people as he was taken away in an ambulance.
“I wish I killed more of them!” Newell reportedly said.
