Brian Hayes, a 47-year-old male, was a quiet man with a heart of gold who was a devoted father to his daughter and stepdaughter. A veteran of the United States Navy, he served his country during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After his military service, he settled in Springville, Pennsylvania, and worked as a night-shift supervisor at the Weis Market in Tunkhannock.
On the night of June 8, 2017, the lives of Brian Hayes and his co-workers were irrevocably changed.
A 24-year-old employee of the same supermarket, armed with two pistols, barricaded the exits of the store and opened fire on his colleagues during the overnight shift. Hayes, along with two other employees, Terry Lee Sterling, age 63, and Victoria Brong, age 25, were tragically killed in the rampage.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a deeply troubled individual in the perpetrator. Prior to the shooting, he had cultivated an extensive online presence that displayed a fascination with the Columbine High School massacre and an obsession with firearms. Through numerous social media accounts, he posted images of himself with guns, wrote multiple suicide notes, and expressed grievances about his job. He even alluded to his planned attack, warning that he would soon be in the news.
The tragic event concluded when the shooter turned one of his weapons on himself, ending his own life at the scene of the crime. As the sole perpetrator, and deceased, there were no ensuing arrests or trials. The community was left to mourn the senseless loss of three of its members, including Brian Hayes, a man remembered by his family as a loving husband and father.
