Troopers commandeer passing semi truck to block traffic from active shooter

Pennsylvania troopers responding to the scene of an active shooter were able to commandeer a passing semi truck to block further traffic from driving into the area on Thursday morning. 

61-year-old Carmine Faino shot and killed his 57-year-old neighbor, Lori Wasko, on Thursday morning, August 7th in Thompson, Pennsylvania. Wasko’s boyfriend called 911 just after 11 a.m.

According to 6 ABC, troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins were the first to respond to the scene and were promptly shot by Faino. Perechinsky was shot in the chest and torso, and Jenkins was shot once in each arm. 

Faino then shot at their police vehicles and an SUV driven by an EMT. “He took evasive action and veered off the side of the roadway and crashed. … He was able to make it out of his vehicle and he actually hid for fear that (Faino) would continue firing upon him,” said Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris to CNN. The EMT was injured in the incident and is now hospitalized in stable condition. 

Perechnisky and Jenkins were pulled to safety by fellow troopers, and Perechnisky applied a tourniquet to Jenkins arm before running to the roadway to stop a semi truck from driving through the scene. 

“Perechinsky was able to commandeer a tractor-trailer that was driving by, and he ordered the driver of that tractor-trailer to pull his semi rig across the roadway so that more people would not drive down that roadway and potentially be subjected to the fire,” Paris said. 

I just left Trooper Joe Perechinsky and Trooper Billy Jenkins who are in stable condition. They represent the absolute best of the Pennsylvania State Police. This morning, they went towards danger to keep our neighbors safe — and they saved lives by doing so. We owe them an…

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) August 7, 2025

Faino shot down a police drone, fired more shots, and was “ultimately shot and killed during the incident.”

“After a period of attempting to negotiate with him, he continued to be a threat and he was shot by members of the Special Emergency Response Team,” the colonel said. “He is deceased.”

“I don’t want to speak to his motive leading up to this. I would say you can draw certain conclusions from the standpoint that we believe Faino shot our victim prior to our arrival and then from a position of tactical advantage fired dozens and dozens of rounds,” Paris said. 

Both troopers were flown to a hospital for treatment. Their current conditions are not known. The incident is still under investigation.