Pennsylvania Murder-Suicide: Ex-State Trooper Fatally Shoots Dad With Crossbow Before Killing Himself During Standoff

A former Pennsylvania State Trooper fatally shot his father with a crossbow before barricading himself in a room and killing himself.

The police responded to a home in Mount Joy Township on Wednesday night after receiving information a person had been shot with a crossbow following a domestic dispute.

The responding officers found 61-year-old Wesley Frey Sr. lying on the floor with an arrow in his chest. The police found his son, identified as 31-year-old Wesley Frey Jr., had shot his father before fleeing to the upstairs bedroom and barricading himself. After several failed attempts to contact Frey Jr., the cops forcefully opened the door and found him dead, Penn Live reported. The manner of death was not known.

It was revealed a family member, who witnessed the crime, had managed to flee the home and call the cops. Investigation revealed Frey Jr. had been a Pennsylvania State Police trooper for six months in 2018. He resigned on his own accord in September 2018.

Frey Sr., on the other hand, worked as a machinist at Micro Facture, a Mountville-based manufacturing business.

"Wes will always be remembered for his unwavering dedication to his family, his love for racing, his skill with a lathe, and his great sense of humor that made working with him an honor," the company said in a Facebook post.

Michael McDonald, a close friend of Frey Sr. since childhood, told Lancaster Online the victim was a "gentle giant" who would "give you the shirt off his back if you needed it."

McDonald said the Frey family took him to his first sprint car race when he was just 10 years old, and added the two had bonded over racing through trips to speedways.

"There’s no bigger feeling than going to a racetrack and hearing the roar of those engines and smelling the fuel. It’s almost an addiction; it really is," McDonald told the outlet.

Frey Sr. was married to Jodi Frey. However, it wasn’t clear where she was when the incident took place.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.