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Ross Township Mourns Loss Of Friend, Volunteer

ROSS TOWNSHIP — The three individuals who lost their lives Monday night in Monroe County were Girard Kozic, 53, of Saylorsburg, James Laguardia, 64, of Sa...

ROSS TOWNSHIP -- The three individuals who lost their lives Monday night in Monroe County were Girard Kozic, 53, of Saylorsburg, James Laguardia, 64, of Saylorsburg, and David Fleetwood.

Fleetwood, 62, of Saylorsburg, was at the meeting in Ross Township last night serving as the zoning and codes officer, just one of the many ways he gave back to communities in the Poconos.

All three were killed when a gunman opened fire at a Ross Township supervisors meeting.

Police arrested Rockne Newell at the scene. He was arraigned Tuesday morning.

Walking through the vast parking lot in Long Pond, Pocono Raceway Vice President Dan Dougherty says it's tough to comprehend the loss of his friend and raceway parking manager David Fleetwood.

Dougherty says Fleetwood was always spending his time helping others.

"When he was at that meeting, he actually was serving as a temporary zoning officer because their zoning officer wasn't there.  He was always, always doing something for somebody else," said Dougherty.

For about the past 20 years, Fleetwood has helped park the 20,000 plus cars that roll through the lots at Pocono on race weekends.  Now Dougherty doesn't know what he'll do without him.

"It's exactly what I'm sitting here now thinking, 'What the heck am I going to do now.'"

At nearby Chestnuthill Township, Fleetwood served as a township supervisor for about six years.  Now his fellow supervisors and township managers say this tragedy has left them with a big hole.

"I don't think you do, I think other people become inspired by what he did and hopefully many people can help to fill that hole," said David Albright, Chestnuthill township manager.

State police tell Albright and Fleetwood's fellow supervisors that this selfless man helped others out inside the Ross Township municipal building one last time, before his life was taken.

"(He) actually pushed a woman out of the way, out of the line of fire and stood in front of another woman to shield her from the fire, and subsequently took the shots that he took," said Christopher Eckert, Chestnuthill township supervisor.

Chestnuthill Township has a scheduled supervisors meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. They say they plan to go on with business just the way Fleetwood would have wanted it.

Click here to read all Newswatch 16 stories on the Ross Township tragedy.

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