Carl Drega Shooting Rampage – August 19, 1997
Overview
On August 19, 1997, Carl Drega, a 62-year-old man from Columbia, New Hampshire, carried out a shocking spree of violence sparked by long-standing disputes with local government officials. What began as a traffic stop quickly escalated into a grisly rampage that left four people dead and several law enforcement officers wounded before Drega himself was killed by police .
Victims (Killed)
- State Trooper Scott Phillips – shot in the parking lot of LaPerle’s IGA supermarket in Colebrook, NH, approximately 2:30 p.m.; initially wounded and then executed by Drega .
- State Trooper Leslie Lord – arrived shortly after; shot and killed by Drega from about 150 feet away .
- Judge Vickie Bunnell – Colebrook District Court judge and former Columbia selectwoman; shot in the back (around 30 feet away) while trying to evacuate staff .
- Dennis Joos – editor of the Colebrook News and Sentinel; attempted to disarm Drega and was shot and killed during the struggle .
Law Enforcement and Bystanders Wounded
- New Hampshire Fish & Game Warden Wayne Saunders – shot in arm and shoulder (bullet deflected by his badge, potentially saving his life) during pursuit across the NH-VT state line .
- Trooper Jeffrey Caulder – wounded in the lower abdomen during ambush in Vermont .
- Trooper Robert Haase – shot in the foot .
- U.S. Border Patrol Agent John Pfeifer – shot in the chest; survived and continued his career .
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