A Westmoreland County man is jailed without bond after state police say he walked into his former home on New Year’s Eve and fatally shot a volunteer firefighter who was eating dinner with the suspect’s estranged wife. Robert D. Naugle Jr., 30, is charged with criminal homicide in the Dec. 31, 2025 killing of James D. Thomas, 47, at a residence on Hugh Street in Hempfield Township.
Authorities said the case jolts a community where Thomas served for years in the Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department. Investigators described a brief, one-sided attack that unfolded just before 8:30 p.m. as holiday plans were winding down. According to a preliminary account, Naugle had filed for divorce in November and moved out of the house two days before the shooting. He allegedly returned, saw Thomas at the table with his estranged wife, and opened fire. Officials said the house also held four of Naugle’s children, including an infant in a crib near the dining area, underscoring the danger to bystanders and the speed at which the encounter turned deadly. Thomas, a father, coach and longtime volunteer firefighter, died at the scene.
State police said Naugle entered through the front of the home and, without saying a word, fired 10 rounds from a handgun at Thomas. After the gunfire, Naugle called 911 and told a dispatcher, “I walked in on my wife with another man, and I killed him,” according to an arrest complaint summary. Troopers and local medics arrived within minutes and found Thomas unresponsive. The three older children were asleep upstairs, investigators said. Troopers detained Naugle at or near the scene and recovered a firearm believed to be the weapon used. A Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson said the episode lasted only moments, and early interviews indicate Thomas was “just sitting there eating” when he was shot.
Officials identified the victim as James D. Thomas of Bradenville, a past president and current vice president of the Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department, Company No. 1. Friends and colleagues said Thomas was a steady presence at calls and community events and had a 12-year-old son. Funeral arrangements posted by a Latrobe funeral home listed visitation for Jan. 6 and a service for Jan. 7. Investigators said the suspect’s four children in the house ranged from an infant to elementary school ages; no other injuries were reported. Authorities did not release the precise caliber of the handgun, whether a magazine was emptied, or how many rounds struck Thomas, noting those details will appear in autopsy and ballistics reports.
Neighbors on Hugh Street, a residential block in Hempfield Township, described hearing multiple shots in quick succession and then sirens. Crime-scene tape closed the small street for several hours as troopers photographed the dining area, collected cartridge casings, and mapped trajectories. Detectives canvassed nearby homes for doorbell video to verify the timeline and whether the suspect arrived on foot or by vehicle. A state police sergeant said the case appears to be an isolated domestic homicide with no broader threat to the public. The department did not immediately address whether prior calls for service had been made to the address in recent months.
Thomas’s death resonated across Westmoreland County’s volunteer fire network, where departments frequently share staffing and equipment. Colleagues said he had mentored younger firefighters and helped organize community fundraisers. The Bradenville station posted a memorial note and planned an honor detail at the visitation. Local officials stressed that first responders often know victims and families personally in smaller towns, which can add strain to crews handling the scenes. Residents in the area left small flags and flowers near the firehouse and posted tributes recalling Thomas as a patient coach on youth baseball fields.
Prosecutors charged Naugle with criminal homicide and said additional counts may follow as evidence is processed. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14 in Westmoreland County. Routine steps ahead include autopsy findings from the county medical examiner, a full ballistics workup on the recovered handgun, and downloads of phones or home devices that might contain messages or location data relevant to the minutes before the shooting. Officials said the children present in the home were interviewed with the assistance of child advocates. Defense counsel had not been listed in court records by Tuesday afternoon.
At dusk Monday, a small cluster of neighbors stood near the corner of Hugh Street as troopers finished measurements on the porch and removed evidence bags. A woman who lives a few doors down said the block was quiet through the holiday and “no one expected anything like this.” Outside the fire station, a retired captain said Thomas “showed up, didn’t complain, and did the work,” recalling recent calls they handled together. A youth baseball parent left a cap on the steps and wrote, “Coach James, thank you for everything,” on a note tucked beneath it.
As of Tuesday night, Naugle remained held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison. Investigators said they will release additional details after the autopsy and before the preliminary hearing next week. Thomas’s department planned to join family and friends at services in Latrobe on Wednesday, with a final radio call expected during the memorial.
Author note: Last updated January 7, 2026.