One Dead in Ligonier Standoff
By: Nadia Bashir
Updated: November 12, 2010
A gunman is dead after a shootout with police in Ligonier. SWAT teams and at least a dozen police cars were present for the standoff on Smith Street.
73-year-old John Weldy refused to negotiate with them. After a nearly 4-hour standoff and 45-minutes of negotiation the situation ended in a shootout which left Weldy dead on the scene.
It is unclear exactly what started the confrontation. Police would only say a police officer on Weldy's street saw the gunman standing on his porch with a rifle.When the officer asked him to put it down he refused and fired 5 or 6 shots, some of which struck the squad car. The officer called for backup.
Neighbors say Weldy may have had Alzheimer's. Ligonier's Police Chief refused to comment when asked if that was true.
