Advertisement Suspected police officer killer dead; second officer shot Officer Ronald Tarentino survived by a wife, 3 children Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The suspect behind Sunday morning's fatal shooting of an Auburn police officer was shot and killed inside an Oxford apartment building Sunday evening. Authorities say a Massachusetts State Police officer taking part in the search was also shot, but is expected to survive. The slain suspect was identified as Jorge Zambrano, 35, of Worcester. Zambrano is suspected of shooting Auburn police officer Ronald Tarentino after stopping his vehicle on a residential street.Sources tell 5 Investigates Tarentino was shot multiple times in the chest.Zambrano fled in the vehicle, state police said.State police converged around a duplex along Watch Street in Oxford Sunday afternoon after learning Zambrano was inside one of the units.Officials say police did an extensive search of one of the apartments and did not locate Zambrano. Upon closer inspection, investigators discovered a passage that allowed entry into another apartment.Video: 'The suspect appeared from inside a closet and fired on troopers'Officials say when police entered the bedroom of that unit, a closet door burst open and Zambrano opened fire on police.One state trooper was struck in the spray of gunfire.Officials say the 18-year Massachusetts State Police veteran who is a former Navy SEAL was shot in the shoulder. He was expected to undergo surgery Sunday evening.His name wasn't immediately released.Video posted to social media by Sanda Belanger, who lived just doors away from where Zambrano was captured, shows how police tried to interact with the suspect.Belanger said she wanted to show the world how hard police tried to end the situation peacefully."They tried to so hard to get him to come out of the building," Belanger said. "You could tell they didn't want anybody else to get hurt."Watch video from the sceneTarentino was 42 years old and is survived by his wife and three children. He joined the Auburn Police Department in May of 2014 after previously working at the Leicester Police Department. A resident told Newscenter 5 he heard the shooting unfold. "I didn't see anything, but I heard rapid fire," the resident said. "Initially I thought it was fireworks." Tarentino was taken to UMass Medical Center in Worcester where he was pronounced dead. Next-door neighbor Vin Dagostino called Tarentino a "super nice guy with a super nice family.""The Auburn police, the town of Auburn, and the law enforcement community have suffered a tragic loss this morning," said Auburn police chief Andrew Sluckis Jr. Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil at the Leicester town common Sunday night for Tarentino.Word of his tragic death spread quickly through the small town. He served the community as a police officer for years before transferring to Auburn police.Many in the crowd were Leicester high school seniors, just days away from graduation. They said they were heartbroken to think their friend and classmate Spencer won't see his dad in the crowd that special day."Spencer has always talked about being police officer like his dad," Ryan Stanick said. "Wanting to be just like his dad because he was such a great man." High school friends remember him as 'the protector'Long before Officer Tarentino wore a badge, he was a leader in his hometown of Tewksbury."When we were kids, teenagers, he had heroic qualities about him," Michael Kaminski, his high school friend said. "I felt like he was always a protector. Some people just have vocations and I think that was his."Friends remember the 1991 high school graduate as an all-star on the basketball court; a passionate player who gave it his all.Tarentino's greatest passion in life became his family, his wife and three kids."I think the things that made him a good police officer made him a good human being in general. Genuine concern for other people, good listener, someone who never wanted to see others hurt," Kaminski said.Kaminski said he always thought there would be more time with his friend, nicknamed "Stork." He siad he feels lucky to have known a friend who lived his whole life for others."I absolutely thought I was going to see him at the 25th reunion in November and we were going to laugh and have a good time," Kaminski said. "Now I'll just have memories." Get the WCVB News App