James “Jimmy” Thomas, a 47‑year‑old volunteer firefighter from Bradenville, was shot and killed inside a Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania home on New Year’s Eve. Thomas died while quietly eating dinner, unaware that a man who once shared a life with his host was about to change everything.
Police say 30‑year‑old Robert D. Naugle Jr. walked into the house on December 31, 2025, without speaking a single word. Naugle’s estranged wife was at the dinner table with Thomas—just friends, she later told investigators. Without warning, Naugle pulled out a gun and fired 10 shots at Thomas.
The scene was chilling. An infant was in a crib in the same room where the shots rang out, and three other children were asleep upstairs. Neighbors and investigators say Naugle simply walked past his own son’s crib and opened fire. Pennsylvania State Police, led by Trooper Steve Limani, confirmed that no argument took place before the shooting.
After the shots, Naugle didn’t flee. Instead, he made a call to 911 and admitted what he had done. In that call he reportedly said, “I walked in on my wife with another man, and I killed him.” The call was a shocking moment that underscored how quickly grief can eclipse reason.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a well‑known figure in the local firefighting community, remembered not just for his service but for the calm, steady way he helped others in crisis. Fellow volunteers in Derry Township described him as someone who had touched many lives and made a real difference in his community.
Naugle’s estranged wife told police that Naugle had filed for divorce in November 2025 and moved out of the house just two days before the shooting. The couple shared four children together, including the infant who was present during the attack. Police records reveal previous calls to that home, though no protection orders had ever been filed.
Now charged with criminal homicide and held without bond at the Westmoreland County Jail, Naugle is scheduled to appear in court on January 14. The case has reverberated through Hempfield Township and beyond, leaving a community mourning Thomas, supporting his family and wrestling with the sudden loss of a man who once ran toward danger, not away from it.
