In the pre-dawn hours of a November morning, 52-year-old Canonsburg Police Officer Scott Leslie Bashioum, a male, responded to a domestic disturbance call on Woodcrest Drive, a seemingly routine part of his duties that would end in tragedy. It was approximately 3:15 a.m. when Bashioum, along with his colleague Officer James Saieva, arrived at the residence. Without warning, they were ambushed by a barrage of gunfire from a second-story window.
Bashioum was struck twice by rounds from a high-powered rifle. Despite being mortally wounded, he managed to return fire, emptying his magazine towards the window. He was rushed to Canonsburg Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after 4 a.m.
The shooter was identified as 47-year-old Michael Cwiklinski. The initial call that brought the officers to his door was related to a dispute with his 28-year-old wife, Dalia Sabae, who was pregnant. After a standoff with numerous law enforcement agencies, including a SWAT team, authorities made entry into the home. Inside, they discovered the bodies of both Cwiklinski and Sabae. It was determined that Cwiklinski had fatally shot his wife before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation revealed a history of domestic turmoil. Sabae had previously sought and obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Cwiklinski, citing his violent threats. Court records indicated that just a month prior, Cwiklinski had explicitly threatened to kill both Sabae and their unborn child. Neighbors reported that police had been called to the couple's duplex on previous occasions. In addition to the violence within his home, Cwiklinski had also attempted to create a larger-scale catastrophe. He had loaded a vehicle with gasoline, propane, and acetylene tanks, which he then fired upon in an unsuccessful attempt to trigger an explosion. Cwiklinski, a former Army sharpshooter, had a history of anger problems which were noted in a mental health evaluation related to a prior domestic violence case. The tragic event left the community in mourning for the loss of a dedicated officer, a young mother-to-be, and her unborn child.
