Who Was Bruce Rogal, And What Caused His Deadly Rampage?

WEST CHESTER, PA -- Numerous memories of Bruce Rogal, ranging from recollections of acquaintances on Facebook, to criminal court dockets, to various media reports, describe a man whose public face was drastically different from the one he showed behind closed doors at home. His convincing separation of the two distinct personas was his hallmark to the end, as, right after he shot at his ex-wife and murdered his parents in their retirement home Wednesday, he reportedly went to a friend's house and had a few beers.

Rogal was a graduate of West Chester Henderson High School in 1977 and Temple University, acquaintances said. He grew up on Clearbrook Road in West Chester. Multiple individuals remembered him as a "quiet" and "kind." They did not see what was simmering beneath. The events of this past Wednesday night did not come out of nowhere. They had years of prologue.

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Rogal's ex-wife suffered extensive abuse at his hand, according to NBC10. From 2009 to 2015, there were numerous instances where he became violent with her, including punching her in the back of the head, choking her, slamming her into the wall, throwing her onto the ground, and spitting in her face.

The encounters reportedly left her with severe bruising and, in one case, cracked ribs. Their son, now in his 20s, had to call 911 to protect his mother, the report states.

The actions which led to the torrents of anger and abuse were often petty. One violent encounter was spurred after his ex-wife pet the dog incorrectly, according to the Daily Local News. In another instance she was in his way in the kitchen. Other violence was caused by a disagreement over $300.

In 2015, court documents show that Rogal's ex-wife got a protection from abuse order from the court, forbidding contact for two years. During the hearings, he reportedly alleged that his ex-wife had made up the stories of abuse in order to improve her chances of winning more in the divorce.

Rogal represented himself in the divorce case in court, according to reports. The ensuing proceedings only stoked Rogal's fury further.

"Rogal is a bitter husband who is very angry at his wife," Steve Rubin, the attorney for Rogal's ex-wife, told the court, according to the Daily Local.

During the divorce case, Rogal repeatedly brought up gripes he had with his ex-wife, and reportedly had to be repeatedly told that the point of the hearings was to determine how to split up their property, not go over their old disputes.

The ultimate result of those divorce hearings did give his ex-wife the home, though Rogal was given a larger share of their holdings than she had requested, reports state. Authorities were concerned enough about Rogal's temperament and behavior that, when they learned about the divorce, they warned two judges who had presided over his hearings.

Authorities believe that when Rogal learned of the result of the divorce, it was the last push for a man already lingering on the edge.

His first action was to drive straight to his ex-wife's home in West Bradford, where he'd been forbidden to go for two years, and open fire on her while she stood in the driveway changing oil in her car. He missed.

He then went straight to Bellingham retirement community in East Goshen, where his parents, both in their 80s, lived. He murdered them and then fled, police said. It is not yet clear why he targeted his parents during the rampage.

After the shooting, he stopped and had a few beers with a friend, not mentioning that he had just killed his parents, law enforcement sources told NBC10.

Hours later, he led police on a high-speed chase. After a gunfight with police, the incident came to its deadly conclusion. Rogal crashed his car into her house and was dead in the driver's seat when police found him, the District Attorney said. The investigation into the cause of his death is ongoing.

Image via Chester County District Attorney's Office