The Pennsylvania man caught on video ruthlessly gunning down two neighbors throughout a snow-shoveling dispute Monday earlier than turning the gun on himself was an engineer and a embellished Navy veteran.
Jeffrey Allen Spaide, 47, a Wilkes-Barre native, graduated from Wilkes College with a bachelor’s diploma in environmental engineering in 2001 and went on to get his grasp’s diploma in water sources and environmental engineering from Villanova College in 2005.
“Jeff was employed as a licensed engineer for over 20 years,” his obituary reads. “He additionally served in america Navy, working as a shipboard engineering technician.”
On his LinkedIn web page, which recognized him as a “skilled engineer,” Spaide cited his active-duty standing with the Navy from 1993 by way of 1998.
Navy officers confirmed Spaide’s service when contacted Friday by The Publish. He enlisted in September 1993 and obtained coaching in Nice Lakes, Illinois. He then served on USS America and USS Nassau, in addition to at responsibility stations in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and Panama Metropolis, Florida. His active-duty standing led to Might 1998 at a rank of Harm Controlman 2nd Class.
Spaide obtained quite a few awards and decorations throughout his army profession, in response to his service document, together with a Navy Achievement Medal, a Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Nationwide Protection Service Medals.
He additionally obtained an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, a NATO Medal and Southwest Asia Service Medal with a Bronze Star, the document reveals.
After leaving the Navy, Spaide continued his army service with the Military Nationwide Guard and Navy Reserve as a “heavy tools operator,” in response to his obituary.
His LinkedIn web page says he joined the Nationwide Guard in 1999 earlier than becoming a member of the Navy Reserve in 2002.
“Operated bulldozers, loaders, rollers, forklifts, dump vehicles and different heavy building tools whereas on lively responsibility and in varied reserve coaching tasks,” Spaide wrote of his time with the Navy Reserve.
Whereas on lively responsibility years earlier, Spaide stated, he was liable for sustaining water distribution and fireplace suppression tools for the Navy.
The digital resume additionally described him as being skilled in wastewater tasks, landfills, switch stations and waste-processing amenities.
He final labored as a facility engineer for the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority in Throop, in response to his profile.
Previous to that, Spaide listed himself as an environmental engineer supervisor for Pennsylvania’s Division of Environmental Safety, serving because the chief of its regional allowing part.
In his non-public time, Spaide loved operating marathons and spending time with relations, particularly his nephew Jayden.
“He was a loving son, brother and uncle who will probably be drastically missed by his household and mates,” his obituary learn.
Spaide is survived by his father, two sisters, a brother, and 5 nieces and nephews. A funeral dwelling in Wilkes-Barre was dealing with his non-public service, the loss of life discover stated.
Following the carnage Monday, a witness reported seeing Spaide pacing inside his dwelling close to a window. He then shot himself as police approached, Luzerne County District Legal professional Stefanie Salavantis stated Tuesday.
In the meantime, a girl in France who recognized herself as a relative of the couple stated they didn’t should die “like cattle.”
“Lisa, James, my household, my blood, my cousin, my cousin, you don’t deserve a tragic loss of life like cattle and make headlines 
sharing your video of the double murder,” Jess Gimenez, of Bordeaux, wrote on Fb Friday.
“The residents on the market haven’t any respect and I’m sorry for you each. You’ll stay perpetually etched in my coronary heart recollections stay however unhappiness and anger settles in.”
