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Shooting Suspect Kills Self During Standoff: Police

SCRANTON — A man is dead after investigators say he took his own life following a standoff in Scranton. It started with gunfire near closing time at a bar...

SCRANTON -- A man is dead after investigators say he took his own life following a standoff in Scranton.

It started with gunfire near closing time at a bar in Scranton, then led to a chase for the suspect, and finally a standoff where investigators say he took his own life.

Police were called to Bigsy's Bar and Grille on Lafayette Street Sunday morning around 2 a.m.

According to police, Kyle Cohawitz got into a fight with someone at the bar, went to his vehicle, and came back firing. Eight people were inside the bar at the time. One of them was shot.

"I guess somebody called it in as a car backfire, but I knew exactly what it was, as soon as you hear it, you know what it is," said Kyle Santos, a neighbor.

Investigators tell Newswatch 16 Anthony DiBileo was shot in the head and taken to the hospital. He's the brother of Lackawanna County Controller Gary DiBileo.

"The victim is a personal friend of mine and is recovering from surgery currently. I think the next 72 hours will be critical," said Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell.

"When I got the call and it was Tony DiBileo, it was a real shock. I've known Tony and Gary my whole life. A guy sitting there relaxing, having a beer, and he gets shot--it hits home," said Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright.

"I woke up, and my neighbor said there's cops all over the place, and whoever did the shooting was locked in a house up there," said Ann Mazzie, a neighbor.

Around 6 a.m., police say they found Cohawitz at his home just a few blocks from the bar. For seven hours, police tried to get him to come out using SWAT tactics. During the standoff, officers had several blocks shut down.

"They did a slow deliberate concentration, trying to get him to respond to us, trying to come out in a peaceful way. Unfortunately, it didn't go that way," said Scranton Police Capt. Dennis Lukasewicz.

Cohawitz didn't respond to police. A little after 1 p.m., officers heard a gunshot inside the home and discovered Cohawitz shot and killed himself.

Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell tells Newswatch 16 that the victim from the bar shooting, Anthony Dibileo, underwent extensive surgery at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton and is in critically stable condition.

Gary DiBileo wrote on Facebook that his brother is a fighter and is responding.

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