Shooting Suspect Bradley Stone Is Dead
[Update 4:30 p.m.] The Montgomery County D.A., Risa Vetri Ferman, confirmed Stone’s death at a press conference just now.
“At approximately 1:38 this afternoon the body of Brad Stone was found in a wooded area in New Hanover Township, just outside of Pennsburg. He was actually found in the rear of the block of 1300 4th Street, at a location approximately a mile from his home in Pennsburg.”
She added: “We believe he died of self-inflicted cutting wounds to the center of the body.” That has not been confirmed by the coroner, she said.
Stone was a Marine veteran who served in Iraq; Ferman said there was no indication that he was treated for PTSD, but he was in treatment for a DUI. “I know he was being supervised by Veterans Court,” she said.
The six family members who died suffered shooting wounds or cutting injuries, she said. A 17-year-old boy who survived, Anthony, received cutting wounds. He’s still hospitalized. “Anthony’s injuries are quite significant,” Ferman said. “They are cutting injuries to his hand and his head.”
The killing of six people — all from the same family — has shaken the community, she said.
“We live here in a very peaceful community. We don’t typically deal with events like this, typically this part of Montgomery County. It’s just really a wonderful, family-oriented community. To have an event like this really shatter the peace and tranquility of this community is shattering,” Ferman said.
She added: “When it comes to why people do things, we can speculate why. We can look at some of the court filings and say he wasn’t getting his way… there’s no justification for snuffing out these six innocent lives and then injuring another child. This is just another horrific tragedy our community has had to endure.”
Bradley and Nicole Stone’s two daughters survive; courts will determine their eventual placement, Ferman said. The Souderton Telford Rotary will be steering efforts to raise support for them.
[Earlier] It’s over:
The manhunt is over. Officials confirm Bradley Stone was found dead in the woods near his home. #MontcoShooting
— The Intelligencer (@TheIntellNews) December 16, 2014
https://twitter.com/musicman04/status/544933944366735360
Brad Stone, accused of killing ex-wife + her family, reportedly found dead in woods down this hill. #montcoshooting pic.twitter.com/C9bw7J5jbt
— Dana DiFilippo (@DanaDiFilippo) December 16, 2014
RT @mg_thereporter: Wooded area where Bradley Stone's body found is surrounded by police tape #montcoshooting http://t.co/cvMMe8nwn3
— Perkasie News-Herald (@TheNewsHerald) December 16, 2014
NBC 10 reports it appears Stone killed himself. Investigators also reportedly discovered a video, recorded by Stone on a cell phone, near his body:
Bradley Stone, the man prosecutors say is responsible for killing his ex-wife and five of her family members and shooting one other before going on the run, has been found dead in the woods near his home, law enforcement sources tell NBC10.
His body was discovered near W. 4th Street and Schoolhouse Road in Pennsburg. The location is just yards from the former Marine’s home where SWAT teams have been methodically searching for the man for the past two days.
More to come.
