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Rural Blair County Town Scene of Triple Homicide

Pennsylvania State Police continue to investigate a shooting Friday in a rural community in Blair County that left four people dead including the gunman. Three troopers were injured in the encounter.

Authorities say one of a gunman's three victims was a woman fatally shot while decorating for a children's Christmas party at Juniata Valley Gospel Church in Frankstown.

The Rev. James McCaulley says the woman, whose name has not been released, was killed by a man who fired shots through the windows of the church hall.  Another woman who was also decorating wasn't injured.

State Police say the gunman killed two other men at another location before he was fatally shot by state troopers.  Trooper David McGarvey says they received a 9-1-1 call for shots fired about 9:00 am and as troopers responded, the male suspect in a truck fired shots at patrol cars as they passed.  According to McGarvey, the gunman then crashed his car into another patrol car and the troopers returned fire killing the suspect.

McGarvey says one trooper was struck by two bullets--one hit his body armor and the other struck his wrist.  A second trooper sustained facial injuries from shattered glass and shrapnel from the gunfire.  A third trooper was hurt in the crash of the two vehicles.  None of the injuries is life-threatening.

Police have yet to release names of the victims or the gunman and are still looking for a motive.