Nov 30, 2016 4 min read

Ask anyone, whether or not they live in Canonsburg, and most will tell you that the Nov. 10 shooting that left a borough officer and a young pregnant woman dead, and another officer injured, has devastated the community.

But members of VFW Post 191 in Canonsburg hope they have helped the healing process by presenting a check for $37,000 that was used to purchase a new police cruiser to replace one damaged in the shooting. The check was presented Wednesday at a luncheon hosted by the post for first responders and borough employees.

Officers Scott L. Bashioum and James Saieva were ambushed outside a house at 120 Woodcrest by Michael Cwiklinski, who was firing a high-powered rifle. The 52-year-old Bashioum died a short time later at Canonsburg Hospital. Saieva was flown to Allegheny General Hospital and released several days later after receiving treatment for his injuries. Cwiklinski, 47, and his 28-year-old wife, Dalia Sabae, who was three months pregnant, were later found dead on the second floor of the home. She had a protection-from-abuse order against her husband.

“We want to help the community and police department start to heal,” said Alex Nakoneczny, commander of the post on West Pike Street. “If this helps even a little bit, what we are doing today, we are honored to do it. The community has suffered so much.”

Chuck Moyar, past commander and president of the honor guard, said borough employee Kim Cecchini approached him and said the police department needed help. He sat down with Chief Al Coghill and Mayor David Rhome, offering the post’s assistance. The chief told him what was needed.

Nakoneczny said the community has always supported the post, citing the fish fries that enable the group to make these donations in support of local causes.

“Our creed is honor the dead by serving the living,” Nakoneczny said.

The decision to make the donation was a quick one.

“They argue over spending $250,” Nakoneczny said. “This vote probably took 10 seconds.”

Coghill said the donation is not all the post has done for the department. It also recently paid for automated external defibrillators for the police cars. He said Nakoneczny shuttled mourners from the borough parking lot to the funeral home so they could pay their respects to Bashioum.

“This a great way to start the healing,” Coghill said. “The officers are back at work, but we have a great void, which will be the new normal.”

“It was such a tragedy that occurred with the killing of Officer Bashioum and injuring of Officer Saieva,” Rhome added. “We also can’t forget the heroic effort by Sgt. Don Cross.”

Cross, who was the shift supervisor, pulled his cruiser into the path of gunfire to get Bashioum away from the house before taking a second cruiser to assist Saieva.

R.T. Bell, borough council president, said the donation lifted a big burden from the borough, which was struggling to find money to replace the cruiser.

Nakoneczny also said a donation was made to Bashioum’s family, as well as to Saieva.

Coghill said investigators still do not have a motive for the shooting.

“It may have been the recent events in his life,” the chief said. “He had lost his job and had a PFA served on him.”

There was no suicide note found. The search warrant served at the Woodcrest residence on the day of the shooting turned up a 12-gauge shotgun, a .35-caliber lever-action rifle and a Remington rifle produced for use during World War II. Also found was a box of live rounds, shotgun shells and spent shell casings. Police also found a propane tank and canister along with a lantern top that investigators believe Cwiklinski intended to blow up.

The chief said Cwiklinski may have been set off seeing the white police cruiser approaching the residence. The 2017 Ford Explorer purchased with the donation is black with ghost markings that will make it stand out less as a police cruiser.