Shooter In Somerset County Standoff: 'I'm Going To Kill A Bunch Of Pigs'

The shooter who killed his fiance at their Warren home almost two weeks ago wrote, “I so sorry!!!!!!!!!!!” via social media the night of her death.

He also told family members through phone conversations, “I’m going to kill a bunch of pigs.”

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office released these quotes, among other details, as it announced the completion of its investigation into the double homicide and suicide in Warren Township on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The incident, which occurred at 232 Mt. Horeb Road, resulted in the shooting death of Heidi Errickson, 45, and her brother Frederick Errickson, Jr., 55.

The shooter, John Reno, 48, also died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“Components of the investigation include, most notably, but are not limited to, statements from the family and friends of the decedents, police audio recordings, social media and text message posts by John Reno, as well as other material that was recovered by Crime Scene Investigators inside the residence, and the State Medical Examiner’s post mortem examinations,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

Below is a timeline of events according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office:

Saturday Evening - Aug. 15

• Evidence shows that John Reno and Heidi Errickson were involved in an argument inside of the residence which they shared.

• At some point during the course of the argument, Heidi indicated to Reno that she was going to call the police.

• The prosecutor’s office states neither the Warren Township Police Department nor Somerset County Communications Center received such a call and that an exact timeline for events occurring on Saturday cannot be constructed.

• 10:32 pm: Reno posted the following on a social media site: “I so sorry!!!!!!!!!!!”

• Reno proceeds to call family members to tell them what he had done and his desire and willingness to engage responding law enforcement officers. Reno told one family member “I’m going to kill a bunch of pigs.”

• He then waited at the residence armed with a weapon, subsequently identified as a GPI SLR15, 5.56mm assault rifle equipped with a detachable box magazine, adjustable stock, pistol grip, bayonet lug, an attached bipod and optical scope.

Sunday Afternoon – Aug. 16

• 12:45 pm: Heidi’s brother, Frederick Errickson Jr., arrives at the Mt. Horeb Road residence and is met by gunfire as he exited his vehicle and walked up the driveway toward the home.

“John Reno fired upon Frederick from an elevated position on the porch of his residence, according to the prosecutor’s office. “Reno fired a total of 18 rounds from that position ultimately striking Frederick numerous times causing fatal wounds.”

• 1:16 pm: Warren Township Police Dispatch received a phone call which stated, incorrectly, that Reno was involved in a shootout with police at his residence. The caller relayed information received as a result of phone conversations with Reno.

• 1:21 pm: Two Warren Township police units were dispatched to conduct a welfare check on John Reno at that residence.

• 1:23 pm: Two responding officers, consisting of a sergeant and a patrolman, arrived on location. Upon exiting their marked patrol vehicles, both uniformed officers were met with a barrage of gunfire.

• 1:24 pm: Officers radioed that there were shots fired and requested the activation and response of the Somerset County SWAT Team.

Authorities say Reno fired upon the responding officers from a position of concealment inside of the kitchen area of the residence.

“One round narrowly missed the Sergeant’s head,” according to the prosecutor’s Office. “That round or perhaps another travelled several hundred yards across the street, through an empty parking lot and lodged in an unoccupied professional office building.”

The officers took cover behind a motor vehicle and a tree. In all, Reno fired 20 rounds at the officers from his position in the kitchen. In response to requests for assistance, additional police units responded to the scene.

Officers from Warren, Green Brook, Watchung, Bernards, and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office were among the first to provide assistance.

With vital assistance and cover from those officers, the Warren Township police officers were able to move from their position of cover to a position of safety.

Offcials say Reno was firing at responding officers when his weapon began to experience mechanical malfunctions. As he attempted to clear those malfunctions, numerous live rounds fell onto the ground.

• A total of 4 live rounds were recovered outside of the dwelling near the rear patio.

• 3 live rounds were recovered near the front porch and grass area of the residence.

• 7 live rounds were recovered on the kitchen floor. Also recovered in the kitchen was a high capacity 30 round magazine containing additional live ammunition.

• Lastly, detectives recovered 7 live rounds and one 1 shell casing near the deceased body of John Reno, along with the aforementioned assault rifle that contained a large capacity magazine.

• An additional large capacity magazine also loaded with ammunition was located under his body.

Investigation has determined that, as the officers were attempting to establish a perimeter and while being fired upon, John Reno was able to exit the residence and obtain concealment in a depression in the wooded area in the rear of the home.

With the assistance of the mobile video recorders—specifically, the audio recordings captured by same--in responding officers’ patrol cars, detectives were able to create a timeline of gunshots after the initial attack on the two Warren Township officers.

1:30 pm: The Somerset County SWAT and Crisis Negotiations Team is activated.

“At the time of the activation, it was believed that Reno could very well still have been in the residence, according to the Prosecutor’s Office. “Due to the type of weapon that Reno possessed, a larger than normal perimeter was established, which included the evacuation of nearby residences.”

1:32 pm: A short burst of rounds was heard. Officers were unable to identify the location from which they were being fired upon.

1:33 pm: A single gunshot was heard. This was the final shot that was heard and detectives believe it to be the shot which Reno used to take his own life.

Following standard operating procedures, an attempt to make contact with Reno was initiated.

SWAT members used a mechanical robot to enter the residence, which was followed by SWAT officers’ tactical entry into the residence.

SWAT members assigned to perimeter security collapsed their positions towards the residence. While doing so, they discovered Reno lying in a drainage ditch in a dense wooded area to the rear of the dwelling with a self-inflicted, fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities say Reno did not possess a New Jersey Firearms Identification card.

“The weapon that Reno possessed and utilized satisfies the criteria for designating a weapon as an assault firearm and consequently, it was unlawful for him to possess same in New Jersey,” according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

“This was clearly an individual who possessed a strong desire, a stated willingness, and a very apparent ability to inflict tremendous harm on people. I believe that I can speak on behalf of all law enforcement officers throughout Somerset County when I say that our hearts go out to the Errickson family for their losses. Without the quick and brave action by the immediate responding officers and those officers who followed, the magnitude of the tragedy could have greatly expanded,” Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said in a statement.

The following agencies responded and supported Warren Township Police during this incident:

• Bernards Township Police Department
• Bernardsville Borough Police Department
• Hillsborough Township Rescue Squad
• Long Hill Township Police Department
• Martinsville Rescue Squad
• Mt. Bethel Fire Department
• New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit (on standby)
• New Jersey State Police ROIC (Regional Operations Intelligence Unit)
• Peapack-Gladstone Police Department
• Somerset County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
• Somerset County Communications and Command Mobile Unit
• Somerset County EMS
• Somerset County EMS Coordinator
• Members of the Somerset County Police Emergency Response Plan (Eastern Region) consisting of:

North Plainfield Borough Police Department, Watchung Borough Police Department, Green Brook Township Police Department and Berkeley Heights Township Police Department

• Somerset County Sheriff’s Office
• Somerset County Tactical Emergency Medical Services Team
• Somerville Rescue Squad
• Warren Township Volunteer Fire Department
• Warren Township Office of Emergency Management
• Warren Township Police K-9 Unit
• Warren Township Rescue Squad