Friends and family are mourning a Pennsylvania state trooper who was accidentally shot and killed by another trooper at a training center gun range.
Trooper David Kedra, 26, was shot in the chest Tuesday during a yearly training exercise at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Complex in Conshohocken, near Philadelphia, state police said.
"Preliminary evidence indicates that Trooper Kedra was struck by a bullet accidentally discharged by another member of the Pennsylvania State Police," said Captain James Raykovitz. "However, more specific information regarding the investigation will not be released at this time."
Kedra was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He is the second Pennsylvania state trooper to be shot dead this month following Cpl. Bryon Dickson's death in an ambush on Sept. 12.
The campus where the shooting occurred has classrooms and training facilities for firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians.
Gov. Tom Corbett on Wednesday ordered Pennsylvania flags to fly at half-staff in Kedra's honor.
Kedra was a resident of East Coventry Township, Chester County who was raised in Northeast Philadelphia. He graduated from Roman Catholic High School in 2006 and Temple University in 2010 where he earned a degree in Criminal Justice with a final GPA of 3.71
Kedra was enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in June, 2012 and was a member of the 134th academy class.
"Trooper Kedra was a very hard worker who applied himself to his studies and his job," said Raykovitz. "He was a good investigator and always had a smile on his face. He was very well liked by his peers and supervisors."
Raykovitz also said Kedra "embodied everything that characterizes a Pennsylvania State Trooper."
"He was awarded Trooper of the Month at the Skippack Station in July 2013 after having only six months at the station," Raykovitz said.
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Kedra is survived by his parents, fiancée, sister and two brothers
