Pennsylvania Man Arrested After Firing AK-47 at Police Over Mask Regulations

Coronavirus mask regulations seemed to have pushed one Pennsylvania man over the edge.

35-year-old Adam Zaborowski went on rampage after being told that he needed to wear a mask, the Washington Post reports. On Friday, a cigar shop clerk told Zaborowski that he needed to wear a mask in the shop. Instead of obliging, Zaborowski angrily argued that it wasn't necessary. He even pulled out a piece of legislation that formerly supported his stance, but since July 1, Pennsylvania has made it mandatory to wear masks inside most public places.

The store clerk tried to defuse the situation by offering to serve him curbside, but he denied the olive branch. He then grabbed two cigars and left the store without paying. The clerk went to the parking lot to confront the man about stealing the cigars, which prompted Zaborowski to reveal a handgun that he shot three times—once in the air and twice at the clerk. Per police, multiple customers were sitting outside in the direction that Zaborowski fired the gun.

The next morning, police arrived at Zaborowski's home in Slatington, Pennsylvania to arrest him. Police say that Zaborowski hopped in his truck and tried to evade them, but was stopped near his home. Upon being stopped, Zaborowski exited the vehicle and started firing an AK-47 and a semiautomatic handgun at the authorities, forcing police to return fire.

"Both the Slatington Borough officer and troopers returned fire and struck Zaborowski," State Trooper Nathan Branosky said.

Zaborowski was shot in the buttocks and leg and is expected to recover from these non-fatal wounds.

"The fact that he got shot twice with non-life-threatening injures when he had an AK-47 and another handgun, Adam is very fortunate he ended up the way he did," defense attorney John Waldron said to the Express-Times.

Zaborowski is now facing 22 charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and robbery. He's currently being held on $1 million bail.