Shooting of woman in Noxen Twp. probed

NOXEN TWP. – State police in Tunkhannock are seeking tips from the public as they continue an investigation of a shooting Sunday night near the Mehoopany wind farm project.

Police said five people – four of them from Luzerne County – were riding in a vehicle in the area of the wind farm project when they were stopped by a man who told them they were trespassing, police said.

The man brandished a stainless-steel .22-caliber revolver and told the victims to leave the area.

The victims, whose names police did not release, complied and began to drive away, when the suspect fired a round at them and missed.

The man then fired a second shot, which struck a 58-year-old woman from Clifford, Susquehanna County, who was seated behind the driver. The shot struck the woman in her shoulder area, police said.

The victims continued driving down the mountain and were met by emergency personnel. The gunshot victim was flown to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township, where she remained under observation.

Others in the vehicle included a 43-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, both from Trucksville; and a 14-year-old boy and a 54-year-woman, both from Shavertown. None of them was injured, police said.

The shooting suspect is described as a white male, about 50 years old, about 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 9 inches tall, about 150 to 170 pounds, with brown, wavy hair and a brown, bushy beard. He was operating a green ATV.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police in Tunkhannock at 836-2141.

The trooper in charge of the investigation could not be reached for comment on Monday. The Wyoming County District Attorney's Office is also involved in the investigation, but District Attorney Jeff Mitchell was unavailable for comment.

It could not be determined why the victims were driving on the mountain near the wind farm project.

BP Wind Energy and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power announced July 30 that the wind farm moved into full construction.

Amanda J. Abbott, director of government and public affairs for BP Wind Energy & Utility-Scale Solar, said state police made company officials aware of the incident. She said none of the victims was involved in the wind farm project.