Law enforcement work the scene after a shooting near Mifflintown, Pa., Saturday, June 17, 2023. A state trooper and a suspect were both killed Saturday in a shootout in central Pennsylvania, hours after the suspect seriously wounded another trooper, state police said. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

MIFFLINTOWN — Saturday was supposed to be a day of celebration in Mifflintown. The Juniata High School softball team had been given a rousing send off to the PIAA Class 3-A Softball Championship game at Penn State with a parade up Washington Avenue.

It was a festive occasion as many residents around town were anxious to attend the game as the Indians played for their first state crown.

Within hours of the well wishes, the celebratory atmosphere turned to terror, and then tragedy, as an armed gunman shot one Pennsylvania State Police trooper and killed another before he was killed during a shootout in nearby Walker Township.

On Sunday, State police revealed the identities of the troopers involved as Tpr. Jacques F. Rougeau Jr., 29, was killed and Lt. James A. Wagner, 45, was seriously wounded in separate encounters with the same shooter.

Rougeau was assigned to the Troop G, Lewistown Station and enlisted in the PSP in June 2020 as a member of the 160th cadet class. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Troop J, York before transferring to Troup G, Lewistown in March 2023.

Rougeau becomes the 104th member of the PSP to make the ultimate sacrifice by giving his life in the line of duty.

Wagner is currently listed in critical condition at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Wagner, who enlisted in the PSP in September 2002, was assigned as the station commander at the Troop G, Bedford Station.

“This is a tragedy for the Pennsylvania State Police,” said Col. Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the PSP, said Sunday afternoon during a press conference at PSP Department Headquarters in Harrisburg. “We ask for your continued prayers, for not only our troopers but also their families.”

The shooter, identified as Brandon Stine, 38, of Thompsontown, was killed in an exchange of gunfire after the shootings. He initially arrived at the Troop G, Lewistown Station in a 2008 Chevrolet pick-up truck around 11 a.m. armed with a long rifle and fired shots at patrol vehicles in the parking lot. Stine got back in his vehicle and drove away, leading to the search for him.

PSP was able to quickly identify him and immediately began their search. Officials would not confirm there was any past history between the PSP and Stine.

PSP officials said troopers engaged with Stine around 12:45 p.m. Saturday on the 400 block of Washington Avenue, about one block away from the Juniata County Courthouse. Stine fired at Wagner, who was inside his patrol car.

Paris thanked citizens who rushed to Wagner’s aid and used his police radio to call for assistance. Wagner was transported to Lewistown Hospital then lifeflighted to Hershey, Paris said.

Following a search of the area, the gunman was located in the vicinity of Swamp Road and Baumgardner Drive in Walker Township, Juniata County, shortly before 3 p.m.

PSP Deputy Commissioner of Operations George Bivens, who joined in the search by helicopter, said Stine was calling 9-1-1 in a “cat and mouse game,” providing false information about his location as if to set up troopers for an ambush.

Rougeau had driven his cruiser into the area of Swamp Road and Stine had shot through the windshield of the cruiser, killing the trooper.

Officials said Stine escaped down Swamp Road to a residential area. He approached Harshbarger’s Sub N Malt, located at 716 Swamp Road, Mifflintown, and troopers were eventually able to force him to travel in a different direction.

Stine traveled through another resident yard when his vehicle got stuck. He was shot and killed during an exchange with troopers.

While state police said there was no threat to the community, Harshbarger’s was put on lockdown during the shootout, officials said. Bivens said troopers “kept residents and customers safe by standing between those folks and Stine.” He also called the shootouts some of the most “intense gunfights I have ever witnessed.”

Bivens said Stine’s weapon, described as a .458 magnum caliber gun, was exceptionally large and would typically be used in hunting large game. “It would soundly defeat any body armor that they had,” he added. “It was a miracle that no members of the public were injured or killed.”

The public is urged to avoid the areas of the state police barracks and Swamp Road and Baumgardner Drive in Walker Township, as the investigation is continuing.

Paris and Gov. Josh Shapiro, who were in Philadelphia for President Joe Biden’s visit to see the I-95 highway repairs, both visited the hospital where the wounded trooper was transported. State police said Saturday night that the trooper was stable but still in critical condition.

“Each one put themselves on the line to protect their fellow troopers – and to protect their fellow Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro tweeted Saturday.

David Kennedy, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, released a statement after the incident, saying:

“Pennsylvania has lost one hero while another fights for his life. The bravery of these Troopers and their loved ones will stay in our hearts forever.”

Traffic in Mifflintown was diverted away from the area, including the bus transporting the softball team as it returned home from the PIAA Championships.

According to a post by Juniata High School on social media, the bus returned to East Juniata High School instead of Juniata High School. Family and friends were encouraged to meet the team at East Juniata.

The Associated Press also contributed to this story.