NICHOLS, NEW YORK – A man was shot and killed Saturday by the occupant of a home that he had illegally entered. According to the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a shooting at a home on Waite Road in Nichols on Saturday afternoon.
Tioga County deputies and assisting New York State troopers arrived on-scene and located a man in the roadway with an apparent gunshot to the upper abdomen. Despite resuscitation attempts by law enforcement offices and emergency medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 29-year-old Cody J. Wagner of Rome, Pennsylvania.
Officers with the TCSO Criminal Investigation Division conducting the investigation believe that Wagner had unlawfully entered the house at 1958 Waite Road. According to Captain Shawn Nalepa, Wagner was then confronted by a caretaker of the property, a relative of the owners who were out of state. The caretaker was armed with a shotgun and attempted to escort Wagner to a nearby residence to call 911, as there is no cellular phone service coverage in the area.
However, Wagner was able to recover a revolver from his vehicle before reaching the neighbor’s house and pointed it at the caretaker. The caretaker responded by firing a blast from the shotgun, striking Wagner in the upper abdomen. He then immediately went to a location where he could call 911, according to investigators.
A loaded revolver was recovered at the scene. The TCSO received assistance at the scene by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Nichols Fire Department, Greater Valley EMS, and Tioga County District The investigation is continuing and there are no charges against the shooter at this time.
