A single gunshot cracked the Thursday morning calm, dropping 80-year-old Randall Mabe to the pavement as blood pooled beneath him. His younger brother, 72-year-old Fredrick Mabe, had pulled the trigger during what authorities describe as a sudden, heated dispute that escalated before anyone nearby could intervene. Moments after firing the shot, Fredrick darted into a
house just steps away, barricading himself inside with the same pistol still in hand.State troopers raced to the scene, quickly establishing a perimeter around the home as it became clear the situation was far from over. Crisis negotiators were brought in, along with K-9 units and tactical robots, all deployed in an effort to communicate with Fredrick and deescalate without further violence.
For hours, officers used loudspeakers, phone calls, and verbal coaxing, urging him to surrender peacefully and reminding him that his brother needed emergency care.But instead of cooperation, authorities say Fredrick answered with gunfire, shooting at Special Response Team members who cautiously crossed the threshold in an attempt to take him into custody.
The troopers returned fire in defense, a chaotic exchange inside the tight, dimly lit space. When the gunfire stopped, Fredrick was found fatally wounded, the standoff ending in a grim and unavoidable conclusion.Outside, paramedics worked swiftly on Randall, who had remained alive thanks to neighbors who called 911 within seconds and troopers who reached him quickly.
He was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries, and his condition remains closely watched by medical teams.The entire ordeal has stunned the community, leaving residents shaken by the sudden eruption of violence between two elderly brothers known to many in the area. Investigators are now piecing together what triggered the fatal dispute, hoping to clarify how a family conflict spiraled into tragedy for both men.
