Three trucks from the Lycoming County Coroner's Office make their way down Peterman Road on their way to shooting scenes on Route 239 in Jordan Township on Saturday morning. Four people are dead, including the gunman, the coroner confirmed. PHIL HOLMES/Sun-Gazette

UNITYVILLE – A domestic disturbance between a couple turned deadly Saturday morning when the husband shot and killed his wife in their house on Route 118 and then went to the nearby home of his sister and shot her to death, state police said. The gunman then came upon a man down the road some distance away on Route 239 and killed him before he was shot and killed during a brief standoff with state troopers, according to investigators at the scene.

The gunman was identified by state police as Brian Taylor, 54, of the 15000 block of Route 118, who they say killed his wife, Linda Taylor, 60; his sister, Andrea Meek, 52, who lived around the corner on Route 239, and Jerry Zehring, 55, a hunter, who reportedly was staying at a cabin on Route 239, investigators said.

The shootings, not far from the Lycoming-Columbia county line, occurred about 9:30 a.m., police said.

“The incident started as a domestic altercation between the Taylors. After shooting his wife, Taylor fled the home and went to routes 118 and 239, where he shot at a passing truck,” police said in a news release issued Sunday morning. Taylor then went to his sister’s home in the 4300 block of Route 239, and “once he shot her, he left on an all-terrain vehicle and continued north of Route 239, where he (ran on to) Zehring and shot him. Along the way, Taylor shot at multiple houses and moving vehicles,” the news release said.

Troopers from both the Montoursville and Bloomsburg barracks rushed to the scene after receiving an initial report of “a female shooting victim” on Route 239, police said. “While en route, there was a report of a man (Taylor) with a rifle actively shooting at vehicles,” the release said. Once they were on the scene, troopers exchanged gunfire with Taylor, who was killed instantly, investigators said. No troopers were injured, police said.

“All involved troopers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave per department regulations,” police said.

It was a very harrowing ordeal for a crew of Lairdsville volunteer emergency medical technicians, who were initially dispatched for one gunshot victim on Route 239. “As per our protocol, the ambulance stages safely out of the scene until the situation is secure, and we get the OK by police to proceed,” Fire Chief William Gordner.

Apparently there was a breakdown in communication, Gordner said. “Our crew believed it was safe to go in, but as they got closer, more gunshots suddenly were heard. The ambulance driver put it in reverse and got out of there in a hurry,” the chief said. “We’re very pleased no emergency responders were injured,” he added.

Within minutes after the initial call, there were reports of a second, third and possibly a fourth gunshot victim. More ambulances were dispatched, but were called off after it was determined that all four had died.

While firefighters in this rural community of Jordan Township handle countless medical emergency calls, several car wrecks, a few fires and occasional suicides in a year, they never before have had to handle a multiple-shooting tragedy such as this, Gordner said Sunday afternoon.

“These types of things just don’t happen out here,” he said.

“Clearly, this is an opportunity for a new chapter in training for us on how firefighters can best prepare ourselves when called to violent crime scenes,” he said

Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr., along with Chief Deputy Coroner Jerold Ross and two other deputy coroners, responded to the three shooting scenes; the Taylor home on Route 118, Meek’s home on Route 239, and where Zehring (from Lebanon County) and Brian Taylor were killed along the two-lane state road. Route 239 from Route 118 to Peterman Road was closed until about 7:30 p.m. when investigators completed their work.

“I have 4 homicide victims,” Kiessling said.

“I don’t have any positive identification yet to give out on any of the victims because county coroners in the state no longer have access to JNET,” a very frustrated Kiessling said Sunday. He was referring to the state’s justice network which provides, among other things, driver’s license information and photos.

For a long time, county coroners had access to JNET, but the state Department of Transportation revoked those privileges for coroners two years ago, requiring coroners to get driver’s license information from law enforcement, Kiessling said. To make a proper identification of a decedent, “I need a picture of the person when they were alive,” Kiessling said. As of Sunday night, Kiessling said he was unsuccessful in getting driver’s license information from state police, therefore he was not going to answer any question concerning victims’ identifications.

He did say an autopsy will be done on the alleged shooter. The coroner said he is in consultation with the Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner on whether other autopsies in the case need to be done.

In a statement released Saturday about the shootings, David Kennedy, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, said “Today our troopers put their lives in jeopardy to protect a community in grave danger. The training and quick thinking of the troopers protected more senseless loss of life in Jordan Township and surrounding area.”

He went on to say that state troopers “are some of the bravest and most unselfish men and women you will ever meet. The troopers who responded to this call about a mass murderer are heroes and were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary.”