Suspect dead after Irondequoit shooting, Letchworth manhunt
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A deadly shooting in Irondequoit and a manhunt in Letchworth State Park ended with the suspect's death by suicide Thursday.
Irondequoit police said it started with a 911 call from someone on Pinegrove Avenue saying there was "blood everywhere." Officers on scene found Joseph Deponceau, 80, in the doorway of a home "obviously deceased" from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.
"They had surveillance cameras on the house, which told us the whole picture," Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters said.
Peters said the video and a witness identified the suspect as the victim's 24-year-old grandson, Andrew Vahey, who lived down the street.
Police set up a perimeter around Vahey's house, but only his roommate was inside. In text messages to his roommate, Vahey allegedly said he killed his grandfather and went to Letchworth State Park, where he planned to kill himself.
Police said they were able to contact Vahey via text message and tried to convince him to turn himself in.
In Letchworth, police found Vahey's car and evacuated the campgrounds. They used teams on foot as well as a New York State Police helicopter and K9s to search for him. He was eventually found on Trail 18, in a wooded area near the campgrounds.
Peters said Vahey fatally shot himself with a long gun as soon as police saw him.
Peters said Deponceau and Vahey had been arguing over a house for a few weeks leading up to the shooting. He said one week before the shooting, officers were called to the home for an argument over parking.
Irondequoit police and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office consider the case closed based on the evidence. Peters said their efforts now will turn toward the survivors.
"People in that family at the same time lost a grandfather and also lost a grandson, to add to the tragedy of what normally doesn't happen in Irondequoit," Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters said. "There's a family that is extremely hurting today."