Soldier Shoots 4 People, Is Shot Dead

A military police reservist shot and wounded two soldiers at Ft. Dix, then fled the base and shot two police officers before police killed him, authorities said Friday.

The gunman had been told this week he would be relieved of duty pending a psychological evaluation, base spokesman Kryn Westhoven said.

Two military police officers accompanied the man to clean out his locker Friday afternoon, he said. The gunman grabbed a .38-caliber rifle, shot one officer and fled.

Minutes later, the gunman struggled with another military police officer, shot him and stole his 9-millimeter pistol, Westhoven said. The gunman fled in a police cruiser.

Despite ground and air surveillance, he was able to escape.

During a chase, the gunman ambushed two Chesterfield, N.J., police officers, shot one of them and took their car, said Sgt. Al Della Fave, a state police spokesman.

Other police and the gunman exchanged fire at a shopping center in Chesterfield, about 10 miles from Ft. Dix. The gunman was killed and a Mansfield, N.J., police officer was shot, Della Fave said.

The gunman briefly took a hostage, but the man broke away when the gunman’s weapon jammed.

Westhoven said the gunman was a member of the 307th military police unit. He was from Pennsylvania but his name was not released.

The two soldiers were hospitalized with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Westhoven said. They were identified as Master Sgt. Anthony Young of Wyncote, Pa., and Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Witcup of New Kensington, Pa.

Chesterfield police Officer Kyle Wilson was in good condition and Mansfield Officer William Kerr was in stable condition, authorities said.