A suspect is in custody after a motel fire in Broome County, New York, killed six people, injured at least two others, and displaced dozens of guests. State police charged Tyler J. Russell with second-degree manslaughter and arson.
When fire crews arrived just after 6 a.m. on Monday, June 22, the Knights Inn in Broome County was already fully engulfed, with heavy black smoke pouring from the front of the building and flames visible from the rear, state police said.
Six people died and at least two others were taken to a hospital, leaving dozens of guests displaced, according to New York State Police. A temporary shelter was set up at the Vestal United Methodist Church, and the American Red Cross began assisting those who had to leave the motel.
In the hours that followed, the response became a race against time—then a search for answers about what set the fire in motion and who was responsible.
Tyler J. Russell, 24, was arrested and charged following an investigation, state police said. He was taken into custody and charged with six counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of arson in connection with the early morning inferno that tore through the Knights Inn in Endwell. a hamlet in Broome County near the New York and Pennsylvania state lines.
Troopers said local first responders received multiple reports of a fire at the motel in Endwell shortly after 6 a.m. Crews from the Endwell Fire Department arrived and found the building in flames. and additional fire departments and law enforcement agencies—including the New York State Office of Fire and the Broome County Office of Emergency Services—responded to help.
The New York State Police said the identities of the victims will be released “at a later time.” The Endwell Fire Department posted a message on Facebook offering condolences to those affected.
“First and foremost, our deepest thoughts and continuous prayers are with the victims and their families who were impacted by this morning’s tragic events,” the department wrote. “Please know that our entire department and community stand with you during this incredibly difficult time.”
By the next day, attention shifted from rescue and shelter to accountability. After consultation with the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, troopers arrested Russell on manslaughter and arson charges at about 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 22, and booked him into the Broome County Jail.
Investigators have not immediately released the exact cause and origin of the fire. Troopers also said they did not immediately know Russell’s motive.
It also was not immediately known whether Russell—who police said lives in Endwell—had posted bond or obtained an attorney to represent him on the felony charges he faces.
A volunteer with the Red Cross estimated that 73 residents were displaced by the fire, reported the Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The timeline—from the first emergency calls shortly after 6 a.m. to Russell’s arrest at about 8:30 p.m. the same day—condenses a full crisis into one relentless stretch. People were pushed out of their rooms as the fire raced. then. once the scene was secured enough for charges. the question that followed was no longer just what happened. but who could be held responsible.
As of now, authorities continue to withhold the victims’ identities pending release at a later time, while Russell remains in custody facing six counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of arson.
New York motel fire Broome County Knights Inn Tyler J. Russell arson charges second-degree manslaughter Endwell American Red Cross Vestal United Methodist Church