Christmas Eve marked the 9th anniversary of the two first responders’ tragic deaths
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Webster, NY - It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a decade since Webster lost two brave men in a tragic shooting on Christmas Eve. But Webster will never forget.
On December 19, in spite of the 27-degree weather, more than 20 Webster Volunteer Fire Department members gathered at the Lake Road memorial site for fallen first responders Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka to honor them in a 9th Remembrance Wreath Laying Ceremony.
On Christmas Eve 2012, Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, and Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, were shot and killed by William Spengler after responding to a house fire Spengler started. Two other first responders were injured in the ambush.
Following the tragic deaths of “Chip” and Tomasz, the Webster community set up a memorial on Lake Road, where the ambush took place. The community remembers the two men every year in a wreath laying ceremony.
In a news release, North East Joint Fire District President David LaRue wrote: “We all miss our friends Chip and Tomasz, and we extend our loving thoughts and ongoing prayers to their families.”