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Gov. Cuomo Briefs Media: One NY Escaped Convict Shot And Killed - Search Continues For Second

New York State Police

New York's governor says a convicted killer who escaped from an upstate New York maximum-security prison three weeks ago was armed when he was spotted and killed. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the killing of Richard Matt came after a civilian complaint about a gunshot fired at a camping trailer in Malone.

Cuomo says authorities don't know where escapee David Sweat is.

Cuomo says customs and border patrol agents were helicoptered in to find Matt. He says the team smelled gunpowder in a nearby area, a sign a gun had been fired.

State police say the team came upon Matt in the woods, challenged him and shot and killed him.

Police are using officers, dogs and helicopters in an area about 22 square miles centered on Titusville Mountain State Forest in Malone. Just days ago the search area was up to 75 square miles.

Escaped murder convict Richard Matt was killed Friday afternoon. Fellow escapee David Sweat is still on the loose.

Sweat was serving a sentence of life without parole in the killing of a sheriff's deputy. Matt was serving 25 years to life for killing and dismembering his former boss.

A prison guard and a prison tailor shop instructor have been accused of helping the inmates escape by smuggling them tools hidden inside hamburger meat.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says Matt was killed by a federal border patrol agent from Vermont. He says searchers with dogs closed in on the pair after receiving a 911 call from a woman who heard "an intruder" knock on her door.

Area resident Mitch Johnson says his friend Bob Willett has a cabin in the area and heard the "Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop" of gunfire.

A man says one of his best friends saw a misplaced liquor bottle at his upstate New York cabin and alerted police who had been searching for two escaped prisoners. Shortly after those officers shot and killed one of the escapees nearby.

Mitch Johnson says his friend Bob Willett checked earlier Friday on his hunting cabin in Malone. He says Willett told him he noticed on a table a liquor bottle that wasn't there the day before.

Police sent a team to the camp area. Willett and police later heard a gunshot in the woods.

Johnson says Willett told him officers flooded the woods and then more shots were heard. He says Willett heard, "Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop."

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says at least one of the two escapees was armed.

Copyright 2015 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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