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Arrest made in restaurant shooting

From staff reports

SELINSGROVE — A Paxinos man whom one of two shooting victims in Friday’s double homicide at a Monroe Township restaurant had a protection from abuse order against was charged over the weekend in the court of Magisterial District Judge John H. Reed.

Christopher Tauren Fernanders, 55, faces two counts of first-degree murder, firearms violations, stalking, violation of a protection from abuse order and related offenses for the incident, which occurred at 8 p.m. Friday at the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant at Monroe Marketplace.

Police identified the victims as 52-year-old Matthew Bowersox of Mifflinburg and 46-year-old Heather Campbell of Trevorton.

On July 1, Campbell had obtained the protection from abuse order against Fernanders after he was charged in late June for terroristic threats in Northumberland County.

Fernanders was taken into custody at the scene after being shot by a legally armed bystander.

“Fortunately, the danger was isolated to the parking lot of the restaurant and no one else was injured,” Snyder County District Attorney Mike Piecuch said in a statement. “Fernanders remains in custody at the hospital in serious condition and will be arraigned when his condition allows. Because the charges involve first degree murder, he is not entitled to any bail.”

Court documents say Fernanders wrote a letter detailing his plan to kill Campbell before the fatal shooting in the restaurant parking lot. The letter was found in Fernanders’ vehicle after a search warrant was executed. Also found was a GPS tracker located underneath Campbell’s vehicle parked at the restaurant.

Fernanders was shot by a restaurant patron who was carrying a concealed weapon.

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