In the early morning hours in the town of Shenandoah, PA, a tragic event unfolded, leaving a family and community in shock. Thomas Cosmo Chernewski, a 63-year-old male, was found deceased in his home, the victim of a violent act that would also claim the life of his daughter.
Police were dispatched to 307 West Centre Street after receiving a distressing call from a woman who had received a text message stating that everyone inside the residence was dead. Upon forcing entry, officers were met by a young boy who bravely stated, 'I need help,' and then revealed the horrific events that had just transpired: 'Dad shot mom and granddad.'
On the first floor of the home, authorities discovered Thomas Chernewski on a couch, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. As they proceeded to the second floor, another gunshot was heard. There, they found Chernewski's daughter, 31-year-old Harley Dawn Reese, in critical condition from a gunshot wound to the head, and another man, 40-year-old Kevin Gordon, who was deceased. Reese was immediately transported to a medical facility but was later declared brain dead.
The investigation, led by the Pennsylvania State Police Major Case Team, determined the incident to be a double murder-suicide. It is believed that Kevin Gordon shot and killed both Thomas Chernewski and Harley Dawn Reese before turning the gun on himself. The motive for this tragic act has not been publicly released.
Thomas 'Cosmo' Chernewski was a well-known member of the Shenandoah community. A 1979 graduate of Shenandoah Valley High School, he went on to study plumbing at Thaddeus Stevens Trade School and later owned and operated his own business, Chernewski Plumbing and Heating. He was an avid fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles and was remembered by his family for his love of sports and his dedication to his work. His unexpected and violent death, alongside that of his daughter, left a lasting scar on the small Pennsylvania town.
