(McKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: January 15, 2026): District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Canadian woman who was convicted of firing toward Troopers has been sentenced to state prison for her crimes.  The case was the result of a 9 hour standoff between Sharon VANDRISH and State Police at a camp in Marshburg where VANDRISH shot a firearm in the direction of Troopers and refused to exit the camp.  After she was convicted, she failed to appear for sentencing and fled to New York where the District Attorney’s Office had to obtain her return to Pennsylvania through the extradition process. During the sentencing hearing for VANDRISH today at the courthouse, District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer told the Judge that VANDRISH continued to blame everyone else for the events and took no accountability for her crimes. DA Shaffer told the Judge that Vandrish has written her several letters and emails and left countless voicemails at the District Attorney’s Office both prior to the trial and since the trial where she has blamed her brother, the jury, the police and Shaffer, herself, including threats that DA Shaffer described as blackmail if the case was not withdrawn. DA Vettenburg-Shaffer noted that the law allows a court to take a defendant’s lack of accountability into consideration when fashioning a sentence and, in this case, her ongoing blame of everyone else should be considered.

DA Vettenburg-Shaffer told the judge that VANDRISH’s attempts to blame others was misplaced because she was convicted after a jury trial where the jury heard from witnesses and heard the actual radio communication of the Troopers on-scene. DA Vettenburg-Shaffer reminded the court that the jury heard the Troopers on the radio recordings describe in real time what VANDRISH was doing- Troopers radioing to each other that she had a firearm, radioing each other that VANDRISH said she was not coming out, radioing to each other that she had just fired a gun, and, most significantly according to Shaffer, a Trooper radioing to his colleagues that he was now trapped by a shed due to VANDRISH’s shooting.  Shaffer noted that Homeland Security has a detainer for VANDRISH.

The Judge directed his comments to VANDRISH’s lack of remorse and danger to society because she placed Troopers as well as herself in a very dangerous situation and still does not recognize that what she did was dangerous. The judge pointed out that he did not hear much remorse from VANDRISH and stated that there is nothing different about her accountability today than the day she fired the gun toward the troopers. The Judge sentenced VANDRISH to state prison for a period of 16 months to 48 months.  She is not eligible for any early parole program.

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CANADIAN WOMAN CONVICTED OF FIRING TOWARD TROOPERS EXTRADITED BACK TO MCKEAN COUNTY-REMAINS INCARCERATED

(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania; November 9, 2025):  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the woman who was convicted at a June jury trial of shooting in the direction of Troopers at a camp in Marshburg resulting in a 9 hour stand-off in 2024 has been apprehended and extradited back to Pennsylvania. Sharon VANDRISH failed to appear at her scheduled sentencing hearing on August 14^th. A bench warrant was issued for her. She was captured in New York and held in custody until she was extradited back to Pennsylvania through a Governor’s warrant obtained by the District Attorney’s Office.

A bench warrant hearing was held on November 6^th as required following the apprehension of an offender on a bench warrant.

At the hearing, the District Attorney argued that VANDRISH’s bail should be revoked given her failure to appear and flight and announced that there is a warrant for VANDRISH from a Federal agency seeking to remove her from the United States as she is a Canadian citizen.

VANDRISH remains incarcerated and her sentencing has been rescheduled for January. A motion to forfeit the monetary bail previously posted has been filed by the District Attorney’s Office and is pending.

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WOMAN CONVICTED OF FIRING SHOT WHILE POLICE ON PROPERTY

(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: June 23, 2025):  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the woman charged with firing a weapon in the vicinity of two Troopers in May, 2024 was convicted after a two-day jury trial held last week at the McKean County Courthouse. Sharon VANDRISH was convicted of 2 counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person (Deadly Weapon Enhancement) and 2 counts of Terroristic Threats (Deadly Weapon Enhancement). 

Corp. John Schall filed the criminal charges against VANDRISH for the conduct on May 9, 2024.  After a series of incidents where the Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched by a home security company to a property on Route 59 where VANDRISH was located - one that the Troopers would later testify involved her threatening to shoot them for trespassing - State Police went to the residence again on May 9, 2024.  The incidents escalated and frequently involved a home security alarm activation resulting in their dispatch or vehicle alarm after they arrived to threats to the responding officers.

When they arrived at approximately 7pm, VANDRISH set off her car alarm and shot a firearm in the vicinity of three Troopers who had set up a perimeter in the rear of the property. One of the Troopers radioed in that he was trapped by a shed on the property as it was unknown where VANDRISH had shot and what would happen next.  Another Trooper ran to check on him and, together, they all escaped injury.

Corporal Schall yelled over the loud speaker to drop the firearm but VANDRISH responded that she was not dropping the firearm and, also, that they needed to get off the property and she retreated to the residence.  Over the next 9 hours, the Pennsylvania State Police and their Emergency Response Team known as S.E.R.T. attempted to negotiate her surrender on a warrant for her arrest.  Route 59 was closed during the incident until she eventually surrendered to police at approximately 4:00 am on May 10, 2024. 

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer: “Police are often the target of violence and threats merely for performing their duties – some for which they can prepare and take precautions and others they cannot because they are required to respond every time they are dispatched.  In this case, the offender fired a shot while Troopers were in the vicinity on the same property.  Some offenders may attempt to avoid criminal responsibility by asserting they did not shoot directly at an officer but, merely, in the area they were standing. But we will still hold them accountable for the risk to life they have created. If an offender intentionally shoots at an officer, they will be charged with Attempted Homicide.  In this case, the offender shot in the vicinity of the Troopers, resulting in charges that show a reckless disregard for the safety of the Troopers and for using a firearm to convey a threat. In this case, we sought the deadly weapon enhancement because it is an appropriate element that will allow for an enhanced penalty since a weapon was used.  The Troopers were at significant risk during this event and I am thankful that each of them was uninjured.”  Sentencing was scheduled for August 14.