Three dead in Pennsylvania snow shovelling dispute

Couple shot in argument with neighbour

Three dead in Pennsylvania snow shovelling dispute (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Three people died in a Pennsylvania shooting that stemmed from a dispute over snow clearance.

A husband and wife were found gunned down in the street following a violent argument with their neighbour, who was then found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his nearby home.

Police say that the violence unfolded in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, during Monday’s heavy snowstorm and that neighbours reported hearing a dozen shots shortly after 9am.

 District attorney Stefanie Salavantis said there had been existing friction between the neighbours but that “this morning, the dispute was exacerbated by a disagreement over snow disposal."

The prosecutor added that the deadly incident happened when the shooter “exited his residence and fired upon the couple, killing both husband and wife."

Elsewhere, authorities in Allentown, Pennsylvania, say that a woman who wandered away from her home during the storm was found dead.

Patricia Becker, 67, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and died from hypothermia four blocks from where she lived.

Police and the coroner’s office are investigating the death, which has been ruled as accidental.

The powerful winter storm stretched from Pennsylvania to Maine and forecasters say it could dump up to two feet of snow in some areas by the time it is done.

Winter storm warnings are in place along much of the eastern seaboard and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut have declared a state of emergency, as have the cities of Philadelphia and New York.

New York mayor Bill de Blasio has signed an order restricting non-essential travel until Tuesday.