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Police say the deceased suspect is a retired Pennsylvania state trooper.Video provided by Newsy Newslook
Sean Logan, right, chairman of Pa. Turnpike Commission, and Pennsylvania State Police Capt. David Cain of Troop T give details of a robbery and shooting this morning on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Fort Littleton Toll Plaza at the 180 mile post that left three people dead, including the suspected gunman. A retired PSP trooper, Clarence Briggs, Newville, reportedly killed two workers before being killed by troopers who pursued him.(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)
FORT<span style="color: Red;">*</span>LITTLETON, Pa. —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>A retired Pennsylvania State Police trooper<span style="color: Red;">*</span>shot and killed two people at a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange early Sunday morning, and soon after was fatally shot<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by police when<span style="color: Red;">*</span>they exchanged<span style="color: Red;">*</span>gunfire as he attempted to steal money from an armored vehicle.
Police said Clarence Briggs, 55, of Newville, killed Danny Crouse, 55, and Ronald Heist, 71, at the Fort Littleton interchange.
Crouse was a turnpike employee who had been on the job just three months, and Heist was employed by Schaad Detective Agency, a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>turnpike contractor, authorities said. Heist was also<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a retired York City Police Department officer.
Briggs was killed soon after shooting Crouse and Heist, while exchanging gunfire with police who responded to the scene.
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According to authorities speaking at a news<span style="color: Red;">*</span>conference, the incident began around 7 a.m. ET when<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Briggs confronted two employees working at a tollbooth at the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>interchange, forced them into a nearby office building and attempted to tie them up. A struggle ensued, and Briggs fled the scene, authorities said. The employees<span style="color: Red;">*</span>got loose and followed Briggs outside.
Then<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Schaad<span style="color: Red;">*</span>armored vehicle arrived at the interchange. Crouse, one of the two employees that Briggs had first encountered,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>approached the vehicle and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Heist got out.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Briggs allegedly confronted the two men and fatally shot them, authorities said.
Briggs continued shooting at the armored vehicle. The driver got out and escaped on foot.
Briggs then got into the armored vehicle and drove it a short distance across U.S. Route 522 to where his own vehicle was parked. He began unloading money from the armored truck<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to his vehicle, authorities said.
The first trooper to arrive saw<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Briggs from a distance, and the two<span style="color: Red;">*</span>exchanged gunfire. Briggs was shot<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and died<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at the scene, according to authorities.
Briggs retired from the state police<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in January 2012 with 26 years of service, authorities said.
Turnpike chairman Sean Logan said commissioners and other officials were "deeply saddened by this horrific tragedy."
"The Commonwealth, Turnpike and Pennsylvania State Police will expend all resources necessary to find out exactly what happened and why," he said at the press conference.
Capt. David L. Cain, commander of PSP Troop T, said a toll collector who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>witnessed the shootings<span style="color: Red;">*</span>spent much of Sunday with investigators and had been sent home to rest by the time the news<span style="color: Red;">*</span>conference was called Sunday afternoon.
Pennsylvania State Police Capt. David Cain of Troop T gives the details, March 20, 2016, of a robbery and shooting this morning on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Fort Littleton Toll Plaza at the 180 mile post that left three people dead. The incident was reported at around 7:30 a.m. The shooter was a retired Pennsylvania State Police trooper.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)
"She's a tough woman ... we told her to take a day or two off, but I'm sure she will be back at work soon," Logan said. "We have a family that is resilient, and we will get through this."
Both Logan and Cain said that as of Sunday afternoon, authorities didn't know why Briggs tried to rob the armored vehicle.
Gov. Tom Wolf offered his sympathy,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>saying, "What happened this morning was tragic and a senseless act of violence, and the victims and their families and colleagues are in Frances' and my thoughts and prayers."
PennDOT workers closed Pa. 522 North at Pa. 475 near Fort Littleton and detoured traffic Sunday, March 20, 2016. Authorities say three people are dead following what appears to have been a robbery attempt on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the vicinity of the Fort Littleton exit in Fulton County.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)
Due to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the shootings, the interchange at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>exit 180<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was closed to traffic in both directions, and wasn't<span style="color: Red;">*</span>expected to be opened until Monday morning, according to Logan.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The interchange is about 20 miles east of Breezewood and 20 miles north of McConnellsburg.
Follow Vicky Taylor on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@VTaylorPO
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