Schools closed, kids stayed inside and authorities chased down several false sightings Wednesday in their hunt for the suspect in a fatal ambush outside a rural Pennsylvania State Police barracks.

Police released new details about the background of Eric Frein, a 31-year-old survivalist who authorities said recently shaved his head in a wide Mohawk, evidently as “part of the mental preparation to commit this cowardly act,” Lt. Col. George Bivens said Tuesday.

Frein belonged to a military simulation unit based in eastern Pennsylvania whose members play the role of soldiers from Cold War-era eastern Europe, Bivens told reporters.

“In his current frame of mind, Frein appears to have assumed that role in real life,” he said.

Hundreds of law enforcement officials spent a fifth full day Wednesday looking for the gunman who concealed himself outside the Blooming Grove barracks late Friday and shot two troopers with a rifle, killing one and wounding the second. Police named Frein the suspect after finding his SUV, which contained his driver’s license and spent shell casings matching those at the crime scene.

Police have been “getting sightings all over the place,” but none have panned out so far, said Trooper Tom Kelly.

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Frein, of Canadensis, Pennsylvania, is charged with killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson, a 38-year-old married father of two, and critically wounding Trooper Alex Douglass.

State police have warned the public that Frein is dangerous, calling him an anti-law enforcement survivalist who has talked about committing mass murder. Two school districts closed Wednesday because of safety concerns.

Bivens said residents should remain “alert and vigilant,” report suspicious activity, lock doors and keep house exteriors well lit. But he said he is “convinced Frein is engaged in a personal battle with law enforcement, particularly the Pennsylvania State Police, and will likely stay focused on that fight.”

Frein has nursed an unspecified grudge against law enforcement and government in general at least since 2006, Bivens said.

As he has on previous days, Bivens used a news conference Wednesday to address the suspect directly: “In the event you are listening to this broadcast on a portable radio while cowering in some cold, damp hiding place, I want you to know one thing. Eric, we are coming for you. It is only a matter of time until we bring you to justice.”


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