Gunman kills ex-wife, five of her relatives

PENNSBURG, Pa. – An Iraq war veteran shot and killed his ex-wife and five of her relatives early Monday, terrorizing four communities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and sparking a manhunt that continued deep into the night, officials said.

The suspect, Bradley W. Stone, 35, of Pennsburg, had a “familial relationship” with all the victims, officials said. Besides his ex-wife, he allegedly killed her mother, grandmother, sister, brother-in-law and niece.

The spree began before daybreak, and sent SWAT teams scrambling from town to town and schools into secure mode. Officers discovered bodies in homes in Souderton, Lansdale and Harleysville. A 17-year-old boy, Stone’s former nephew, was also shot and wounded.

Prosecutors didn’t identify Stone as the suspect until midafternoon and then released only sparse detail, saying he was believed to be armed, had a red or auburn beard, and could be wearing fatigues and using a cane or a walker. Hours later, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman’s office said Stone may have shaved his head and might not use a walker.

At a brief news conference outside the Lower Salford police building, Ferman did not discuss a motive and declined to take questions.

“We do not know where he is,” she said.

Late Monday night, investigators were pursuing a complaint that Stone may have been spotted in Doylestown, according to a law enforcement source. Stone was clearly “on the run,” the source said.

At the same time, Pennsburg had activated a “Shelter-In-Place” recommendation for the entire borough. “We ask that ALL residents please remain in their homes with doors locked and away from any windows,” the alert said. “Please do not answer your door for anyone other than law enforcement officers.”

County court records show Stone had been in divorce proceedings with his 33-year-old wife, Nicole A. Stone, since early 2009. In early December, he filed an emergency motion for custody of their two daughters, believed to be teens.