Community Corner

Marino Remembered at Saturday Vigil

Bucks County Coroner Dr. Joseph Campbell has ruled Michael Marino Jr.'s death a homicide, according to PhillyBurbs.com

Update Tuesday, June 19

The Souderton Independent covered the vigil of Michael W. Marino on Saturday, June 16, held at the location of his death at Clymer Avenue and East Old State Road in Sellersville.

According to the article, no one publicly spoke at the vigil. Marino's parents Michael Sr. and Kalie are not ready to speak on the matter. It was the parents' first time at the site of their son's shooting, according to the article.

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Attendees at the vigil hugged, added flowers to the memorial and shared griefs, according to the article.

The article described some of the messages and statements that friends of Marino made at the vigil. Notes left the memorial included "Miss U always," "Love leaves a memory no one can steal" and "Gone but NEVER forgotten."

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A friend, Dan Wagner, of Perkasie, pointed out Marino was always happy: “He looks happy as can be. He was always that way.”

Another friend, Terrence Gadsby, of Skippack, is a veteran of Afghanistan. In the article, he said Marino sent a care package to Gadsby's unit every month.

In the article, Gadsby had a lot to say about the fatal Saturday afternoon when Marino was killed:

“Mike was a great guy. He’d do anything for anybody. He had no weapon. That’s the biggest thing. They have all kinds of different things they could have done.” 


Gadsby told the Souderton Independent that the police officer that shot Marino could have shot him in the leg. The officer who fired the shot should have been prepared and able to handle the incident, Gadsby said.

“He was supposed to be able to deal with situations like this,” Gadsby said in the article. “That’s what he was trained to do.”

Update Thursday, June 14, 12:55 a.m.

According to PhillyBurbs.com, Sellersville Police and law enforcement officials have tied a suspicious cylinder thought to be a bomb to Michael Marino.

The package was removed Sunday by Allentown Fire Department Bomb Squad less than 24 hours after Marino was killed by a Perkasie Police officer, according to the article.

Sellersville Police said there was a "rambling discourse" written on a piece of paper found with the cylinder that identified a resident. The article states sources say that resident was Marino.

In the article, Perkasie Police Chief Joseph Gura confirmed Marino is the name in connection with the package. Gura told PhillyBurbs that the police department's attorney advised him not to release any more information on the incident.

The cylinder was a homemade explosive device, according to police in the article. The device was made safe for removal through the use of a water gun and an x-ray.

Update Wednesday, June 13, 12:50 a.m.

It was reported by Fox 29 News that witnesses told investigators that Marino was handcuffed when he was shot.

According to PhillyBurbs.com, Bucks County Coroner Dr. Joseph Campbell said that Marino died from a single gunshot wound to the chest and has ruled his death a homicide.

A homicide, by legal definition, is the killing by one human being of another human being. 

The Bucks County District Attorney is still investigating whether the shooting of Marino was justified by a Perkasie Police officer.

Update, Tuesday, June 12

A reader posted on Lansdale Patch Facebook a posting from Michael Marino Jr.'s brother Michael Angel of Philadelphia: 

well i just saw my brothers body and he had handcuff marks so bad that he was bruised and cut from them.... if any of you read what the cops said happened you'll notice they said things never got to the point that he was arrested or handcuffed... So now we all know what they have been hiding and why they have said all the strange things they said... what surprises me most is that they at least admitted he had no weapon at all. Only his words and fists and a couple of kicks. No wonder they said he was kicking, he had his hands cuffed behind his back... What kind of coward shoots a kid in the chest who's handcuffed?! The police department should just have their guy take responsibility for what he did.. that's all were asking to be done... but they are going to make thin...gs even worse for themselves by not just simply telling the truth

According to The Reporter Newspaper, one of three Perkasie Police officers is not directly involved in the shooting, as he was leading a witness away from the scene at the time of the incident.

According to the article, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is investigating whether the shooting was justified.

The article states that Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler knows people are looking for answers.

Michael Marino Jr., 26, was a graduate of Lakeside High School and started classes at Bucks County Community College, according to his obituary.

Update, Sunday, June 10, 8:37 p.m.

A reader has identified the man shot by Sellersville Police as Michael Marino.

That name has not been confirmed by police.

A Philadelphia artist and musician in the band Angry Angel, Michael Angel, commented on Facebook on a PhillyBurbs.com article on the Sellersville shooting. 

Here is an excerpt from Angel's comment:

My brother was murdered by cops yesterday just because they were to confused to know what to do... He was just a kid, an unarmed confused kid. Instead of doing all the things they are taught to do like pepper spray, or use a club, or simply subdue him they just took out a gun and shot him in the chest. All he had were words and his own fists.

According to an article on PhillyBurbs.com, Sellersville residents said the man shot and killed by police on Saturday was screaming at neighbors, threatening to kill them, punching cars with his bare hands and banging his head against street signs.

The unidentified man was wearing a sweatshirt and yellow poncho, according to the article.

Perkasie Police Chief Joseph Gura is quoted in the article as saying the man was "very combative and got physical" with police.

Gura is quoted as such in the article:

During the physical altercation, the man did not display a weapon. Our officers talked to the man, who was acting peculiar. We do not know if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but he was not complying with police. They were trying to get him to go to a hospital to get checked out.

The man got away from police and went into a building at 201 Clymer Avenue, according to the article. The man came and began fighting with police using his fists, police said in the article.

The man lunged at one of the three police officers, who fired a shot into the man's chest, killing him, according to the article.

The Bucks County District Attorney's Office is investigating the shooting, according to the article.

Sellersville resident Rich Pole was in his backyard when he heard screaming,according to the article, and is quoted as such:

I thought there was a fight. I went out through my gate and here's this guy screaming at the top of his lungs. He was screaming obscenities at me and he was gonna kill me. He was out of control. I heard him say he was off his medication.

Another resident, Tyler Brown, is quoted in the article as well:

He was wearing a sweatshirt and yellow poncho. He was screaming out of control and slammed his head into signs and was punching cars with his bare hands. He yelled at me and then he tried to hit a young boy, but did not.

Earlier Sunday morning story

The Reporter Online reported Saturday that a man in his 20s was shot and killed by Perkasie Police Saturday afternoon near a building by the railroad tracks at Clymer Avenue and East State Street.

According to the article, police responded to the Village Market convenience store around 4:15 p.m. for a report of a man "acting confused."

Village Market is located on E. Park Avenue/Main Street in Sellersville.

Police searched for the suspect and located him near the building by the intersection of Clymer Avenue and East State Street, according to the article.The man was described as a white male in his 20s.

(It is possible the intersection was incorrectly reported as East State Street instead of East Old State Road. There is no East State Street that intersects with Clymer Avenue in Sellersville).

Perkasie Police Chief Jeff Gura was quoted in article as stating police struggled between the unarmed man and three officers. The man kicked and struck one of the officers, according to the article.

An officer fired one shot, striking the man in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the article.

Gura told  that all three officers were taken to Grand View Hospital in Sellersville to be checked out.

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