By Rhian Lubin

Copyright independent

The shooter who killed three police officers and wounded two others in rural Pennsylvania has been named after he opened fire on them as they tried to serve him with a warrant.

Matthew James Ruth, 24, has been identified as the suspected shooter in Wednesday’s attack in the farming community of North Codorus Township, roughly 115 miles west of Philadelphia, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.

Officers were preparing to serve a warrant on the domestic callout in York County when Ruth, reportedly dressed in camouflage, pulled a gun on them from a nearby cornfield, an official said. Ruth was killed by one of the police officers as they exchanged gunfire.

At a Thursday press conference, York County District Attorney Tim Barker named the fallen officers as Detective Sgt. Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker and Detective Isaiah Emehhesier.

The other two officers are in a stable but critical condition.

Here’s what we know so far about the case and the suspect:

The violence broke out when the five police officers went to serve Ruth with a warrant Wednesday afternoon as part of a “domestic violence-related” investigation, Barker said at Thursday’s press conference.

They were looking for the suspect and found him Wednesday at about 2:10 p.m. inside the home of his ex-girlfriend, who was not there at the time.

Officers opened the door and were immediately fired upon by the suspect, who was carrying an AR-15 rifle with a suppressor, Barker said. The suspect fired multiple rounds at the four officers at the door, killing three of them, and the shootout lasted two minutes.

When more law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered that Ruth had killed a black Labrador, who was owned by his ex-girlfriend’s mother, in the basement of the property, Barker said.

The night before the killing, officers were called to the home after the mother of the ex-girlfriend reported a man on her property dressed in camouflage, later identified as Ruth, looking in with binoculars, according to Barker.

After looking at trailcam footage, officers saw that Ruth “had an AR-15 style rifle slung across the chest while looking into the residence,” the prosecutor said.

Officers spent several hours trying to find Ruth, but couldn’t locate him Tuesday night.

While at the scene, investigators spoke with the resident’s daughter who told them that her pick-up truck was set on fire on August 20. An investigation found the fire was set intentionally and the daughter told authorities she believed the culprit may be Ruth, her ex-boyfriend.

Ruth was charged Wednesday with stalking, prowling at nighttime and summary criminal trespass.

Neighbors shared their panic as they heard gunshots ringing out from near a cornfield shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Witness Dave Miller said that his heart “was pounding” as he heard at least 30 gunshots ring out.

“I looked at all the tall corn next to me and thought, well, if they didn’t get him, he’s on the run and he could come through the cornfield,” Miller said.

He told CNN affiliate WGAL that the gunfire “wasn’t a quick ordeal.”

Resident Dirk Anderson said he was in his shop when he heard “quite a few” shots from across the street, following by cops and the helicopter arriving.

Four of the police officers were with the Northern York Regional Police Department, while the fifth was a York County sheriff’s deputy.

Northern York County Regional Police Department said yesterday’s violence was a “dark and heartbreaking day” in a Thursday statement.

“We are devastated by the loss of three of our officers and continue to pray for the recovery of a fourth who remains hospitalized,” it read.

After speaking earlier that day at an event promoting the progress in Pennsylvania’s reduction in gun violence, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was leading the tributes to the officers at WellSpan York Hospital after meeting the families of the casualties.

“This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day,” he said. “Even through their grief, each family I met with in York today told me how proud they are of their loved ones who put on the uniform and run toward danger to keep us safe. This kind of violence is not OK, we need to do better as a society.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the violence against police “a scourge on our society.”

Hours after the shooting, people in the local community held American flags to salute a procession of emergency vehicles traveling to the coroner’s office.

Wednesday’s violence marked one of the deadliest days for Pennsylvania police this century.

In 2009, three Pittsburgh officers responding to a domestic disturbance were ambushed and shot to death by a man in a bulletproof vest.

Another officer in the York County area was killed in February, when a man armed with a pistol and zip ties entered a hospital’s intensive care unit and took staff members hostage before a shootout that left both the man and an officer dead.

The Associated Press contributed reporting