State Trooper, Wife Killed in Supermarket Murder-Suicide: Troubled Veteran Mark R. Miscavish Opens Fire, Tragically Shoots Abused Wife Traci, Turns Gun on Self

A former state trooper opened fire in a Pennslyvania supermarket on Thursday (March 28), tragically shooting his wife and then turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder-suicide. According to police, Mark R. Miscavish was a veteran of the PA State Police Dept who retired in 2011. Miscavish's wife Traci had just filed for divorce the day before, claiming that Mark had abused her during their relationship. Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller claims that Traci had sadly predicted that her estranged husband would kill her.

Details remain hazy, but Miscavish is accused of entering the County Market in Philipsburgh, PA with a shotgun and opening fire on his estranged wife. He killed her and then took his own life. No one else was hurt during the shooting.

According to the Inquisitr, the former state trooper was arrested back in January for allegedly beating his wife. The couple had already seperated, and when Traci returned home to collect her belongings, she found Miscavish in an agitated, drugged-up state. Traci claimed that her husband was abusing prescription drugs at the time, and that he ultimately wrestled her to the ground when she attempted to get away from the troubled situation. Miscavish was accused of pinning Traci to the ground and binding her with duct tape. When she finally escaped, the former policeman allegedly grabbed a gun and threatened to kill her. Traci was sparred when a passerby managed to stop the assault.

Traci was eventually granted a protection-from-abuse order against Miscavish.

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller told the AP Traci lived in fear that her husband would eventually kill her:

‘‘She said, ‘The next time I see him is going to be at the end of a gun'... We were very concerned when he got out and we’re just devastated now.’’

Even after the tragic murder-suicide, Traci’s family members don't hold any grudges - they claim that Mark was troubled and in need of serious help.

‘‘He wasn’t in his right mind,’’ said Gina March, Traci’s sister. ‘‘I don’t believe he’s at fault, I believe he needed help. … And nobody was there to help him, not the judge, not the cops, not our system.’’

Thoughts and condolences go out to Traci's family and friends during this time of tragedy.