A former elite fencer, Alan Weber, was tragically killed at his home on Long Island, New York, after police responded to a 911 call about a violent man inside. The 54-year-old, who had won a medal for the United States at the Pan American Games in 1995, was shot by a Suffolk County police officer on Tuesday night. The state attorney general’s office has opened a probe into the incident.
According to officials, when the police arrived at Weber’s residence, they heard him screaming and breaking things. He was wearing a fencing mask and brandishing two swords. Despite commands to drop the weapons, Weber refused to comply. The situation escalated, and an officer ultimately fired when Weber charged at them. Commissioner Rodney Harrison stated that the officer felt there was no other choice.
Weber, a native of Long Island and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was highly respected in the fencing community. Jeff Salmon, a friend who knew him since their childhood and competed with him, expressed devastation over the incident. Salmon, co-founder and head coach at Mission Fencing Center, where Weber’s children received training, described him as a world-class fencer. Weber came close to making the U.S. men’s team for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and won a silver medal in the team foil category at the Pan Am Games in 1995.
In recent years, Weber had been working as a coach at various clubs. Andy Shaw, a historian for the U.S. Fencing Association, remembered Weber as confident and creative, having witnessed his skills from a young age.
The attorney general’s office is conducting an investigation, as is standard procedure for deaths involving law enforcement in the state. The tragic loss of Alan Weber has left the fencing community and those who knew him in shock.
