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An Onondaga County deputy shot and killed two teenagers during an altercation in DeWitt early Wednesday morning. The identities of the two teenagers have not been confirmed or released as of 10:44 p.m. on Sept. 6.

A deputy from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call alerting authorities of suspicious vehicle activity near the Midler Meadows Mobile Home Park at approximately 4 a.m., according to CNYcentral.

Two vehicles were at the scene when the deputy arrived, Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. As one of the vehicles attempted to hit the deputy with their car, the deputy shot and killed two of its three occupants. At the press conference, the sheriff said the car was moving “fast enough to run someone over and kill them.”

Both vehicles fled the scene. One of the teenagers killed was dead when responders arrived and the other was pronounced dead at the hospital. The two teenagers killed were 15 and 17 years old, syracuse.com reported.

Prior to the altercation with the deputy, the same two vehicles had been stolen from Syracuse, approximately two and a half miles away from Syracuse University’s campus. The vehicles’ occupants burglarized two smoke shops prior to the suspicious call that the deputy responded to, the sheriff said.

It is unknown whether the vehicle’s occupants had any weapons at the time. The vehicle is being processed, the sheriff said. The other vehicle and people involved have not been located as of 10:43 p.m. on Wednesday.

At the press conference, the sheriff confirmed the deputy did not have his body camera on when the incident occurred. Police have video footage of the incident taken by the same person who called in the suspicious activity report.

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation said it has opened an investigation into the shooting. The office is required by law to investigate every reported instance of a law enforcement officer causing a death by shooting.

According to state law, the deputy is currently on paid administrative leave for the 72 hours immediately after the incident occurred.

Managing Editor Kyle Chouinard contributed reporting to this article.

Published on September 6, 2023 at 10:48 pm

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu