Scranton Store Owner Shot & Killed

[Big D]

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-scr-acciden...,5513609.story

3:49 PM EDT, August 4, 2009
The owner of a sporting goods store in Scranton was accidentally shot and killed Tuesday afternoon.

Scranton police said Ted Warholic, owner of Bill's Sporting Goods on North Main Avenue, was showing a gun to a person in the store when it fired and hit him in the chest. He died at scene. No one else was hurt. Investigators said it appears Warholic was not aware the gun was loaded.

The investigation into the shooting continues.

Copyright © 2009, WNEP-TV

[cgbudde]

3:49 PM EDT, August 4, 2009

The owner of a sporting goods store in Scranton was accidentally shot and killed Tuesday afternoon.

Scranton police said Ted Warholic, owner of Bill's Sporting Goods on North Main Avenue, was showing a gun to a person in the store when it fired and hit him in the chest. He died at scene. No one else was hurt. Investigators said it appears Warholic was not aware the gun was loaded.

The investigation into the shooting continues.
Copyright © 2009, WNEP-TV

This was posted on the wnep website.

[normanvin]

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-scr-acciden...,5513609.story

Store Owner Accidentally Shot

3:49 PM EDT, August 4, 2009
The owner of a sporting goods store in Scranton was accidentally shot and killed Tuesday afternoon.

Scranton police said Ted Warholic, owner of Bill's Sporting Goods on North Main Avenue, was showing a gun to a person in the store when it fired and hit him in the chest. He died at scene. No one else was hurt. Investigators said it appears Warholic was not aware the gun was loaded.

The investigation into the shooting continues.

[steamtownwelder]

I live only a few blocks away and stop at Bill's at least once a week. I was in there Saturday. Teddy was a very nice guy. I'm very surprised to hear about a round being in a display weapon there. My prayers go out to his family.

Steamtown




http://www.scrantontimes.com/news/no...gun_discharges



SCRANTON - The owner of a North Scranton sporting goods store was killed today when a handgun he was showing a customer discharged, police said.

Ted Warholic Sr., 73, owner of Bill's Sporting Goods, was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center, police said.

The shooting happened just before 1 p.m. at the store at 1907 N. Main Ave., next to Providence Square.

Police Chief David Elliott said Mr. Warholic was holding the barrel of a .357-caliber handgun and passing it to a customer when the weapon fired, hitting him once in the chest.

The investigation is continuing, and whether the shooting is ruled an accident is a decision the district attorney will make, the chief said.

"We have to wonder why there was a round in there," Chief Elliott said, referring to the gun. "It's not a closed case at this point.

Chief Elliott said two other employees were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

Check back for updates.

[DeepbluePA]

Bills sporting goods owner accidentally killed

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-scr-acciden...,5513609.story

[nycems22]

Seems like every day, someone who you would think knows better......
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news...sEnabled=false

[HyDef]

http://www.scrantontimes.com/news/no...gun_discharges



A well-known North Scranton businessman was killed Tuesday when a handgun he was showing a friend at his sporting goods store discharged, police said.

Bill's Sporting Goods owner Ted Warholic, 73, died at Community Medical Center shortly after the shooting at the shop at 1907 N. Main Ave., Police Chief David Elliott said.

The investigation was ongoing, and Chief Elliott said the Lackawanna County district attorney's office will determine whether the shooting was an accident.

"We have to wonder why there was a round in there," the chief said, referring to the gun. "It's not a closed case at this point."

The shooting happened just before 1 p.m. as Mr. Warholic, who has owned the landmark shop on Providence Square for more than 20 years, was looking at weapons with friend and North Scranton resident Ralph Falzetti, Chief Elliott said.

As he held a .357-caliber handgun by the barrel and passed it butt-first to Mr. Falzetti, the weapon discharged, striking Mr. Warholic once in the chest, the chief said.

The gun was believed to be part of the store's stock, not a personal weapon, police said.

Two other employees, including Mr. Warholic's son, were in the store at the time, Chief Elliott said.

Police blocked off the sidewalk in front the business. About a dozen people watched from the behind the police tape as emergency medical technicians moved Mr. Warholic on a stretcher from the store to a waiting ambulance.

A former president of the North Scranton Professional Business Association, Mr. Warholic purchased Bill's in 1987 from long-time owner and operator Bill Zingle.

He had previously worked for 35 years at Sugerman's department store in Eynon, including 14 years as manager of the sporting goods department and 13 years as store manager.

Chief Elliott said Mr. Warholic counted many city police officers among his customers.

Police Capt. Carl Graziano said he sometimes visited the shop and knew Mr. Warholic.

"It's a tragedy. He was well-liked over there," Capt. Graziano said. "I don't think you'd find anybody who would say a bad thing about him."

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

[PA86]

Ted Warholic Sr., 73....

Well at least he had a good run of it.

Looks like he broke at least two golden rules though.

[xxthe_beastxx]

Seems like every day, someone who you would think knows better......
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news...sEnabled=false

We all should know better and that is a fact. I am sure that once in all our lifes we all got a little too comfortable and let our guard down.

My condolences to this fellows family and friends. Hopefully we can all take a lesson away from all this and do better than be comfortable.

[dc dalton]

UnFREAKINGbelievable!

I mean for the love of god this man owns a sporting goods store and he doesn't clear a weapon before showing it and MORE IMPORTANTLY handing it to someone else? WTF kind of an IDIOT does that?

Face palm me twice because I don't get that kind of outright stupidity!