James V. Vinny LaGuardia, a 64-year-old man of Italian-American ethnicity, was tragically killed on August 5, 2013, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. He was attending a town meeting at the Ross Township Municipal Building when a gunman, identified as Rockne Warren Newell, opened fire. LaGuardia was one of three people who lost their lives in the shooting, which also left three others injured.
The incident occurred after 7:00 p.m., when Newell, who had a long-standing feud with township officials, began shooting into the building with a .223 Ruger Mini-14 rifle and later used a .44 Magnum revolver. During the chaos, two men managed to subdue and disarm Newell, preventing further casualties. LaGuardia, along with two other victims, David Fleetwood and Gerard Kozic, succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
Following the shooting, Newell was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He later pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three life terms plus an additional 61 to 122 years for the attempted murder charges. Newell is currently serving his sentence at the State Correctional Institution – Rockview.
The Ross Township Municipal Building shooting was a tragic event that shook the small community of Saylorsburg and highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence. LaGuardia, remembered as a family man and a beloved member of his community, left behind a wife, three children, and seven grandchildren.
