The feds have traced the buyer and seller of the illegally owned weapons used by William Spengler Jr. in the ambush killing of two upstate firefighters, it was reported yesterday.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it has turned the information over to New York State Police, but couldn’t release details because the investigation is ongoing, The Associated Press said.
Spengler, 62, wasn’t able to legally purchase the .223 Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used in the slayings because he served 17 years for killing his grandmother.
SURVIVING FIREFIGHTERS ‘HUMBLED AND THANKFUL’ FOR SUPPORT
Spengler set his Webster home on fire Monday and then waited for firefighters to respond. He killed Michael Chiapperini, 43, and Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, and wounded two others.
A burnt body, presumed to be Spengler’s 67-year-old sister, Cheryl, was found in the home.
Spengler left behind a typed, three-page letter in which he said, “I still have to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best: killing people.”
Neighbors described Spengler as a creepy loner who was sick of being rejected during his attempts at small talk.
“He was shunned by a lot of people down there and maybe he was a little sick of it,” Jim Smith said.
“He would come over and try to make small talk. When you were outside, you really couldn’t get away from him. He’d always want to come over.
“As soon as you’d pull in there, he’d just come out. I kind of thought he was lonely and wanted to talk to somebody.”