The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office provided an update Friday on the February 28th officer-involved shooting in the city of Canandaigua that resulted in the death of Brandon Zurkan, of Warren, Pennsylvania. Investigators followed multiple leads, interviewed dozens of witnesses, conducted a forensic examination of the victim’s phone, and searched his car. Sheriff David Cirencione says the following are the results of those investigative leads:
- In the week prior to the incident, Mr. Zurkan had applied for jobs in the Buffalo, Syracuse, and Southern Tier areas. He was not offered employment as a result of those inquiries. Beyond this, no additional information has developed indicating the reason Mr. Zurkan was in Ontario County
- Located in the vehicle was: A Remington .20 gauge shotgun. This firearm was loaded with 5 more live rounds on the stock of the weapon, Also located was a .45 caliber magazine with 4 live rounds. Additional live .45 caliber and .20 gauge shotgun rounds were in the vehicle. The following pills were in the vehicle: Suboxone, Amphetamine Salts, Venlafaxine, Ziprasidone, Enalapril, Clonazepam, and Sucralfate. All of said substances were in containers prescribed to Mr. Zurkan
- Toxicology results remain pending by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
- In addition to the original 911 caller, a second witness in the Town of West Bloomfield was located who heard a gunshot as Mr. Zurkan’s vehicle traveled past his residence. This location is consistent with the location where the 911 caller heard the shot as he followed Mr. Zurkan
- Five spent .45 caliber shell casings were located on S. Pearl Street in the City of Canandaigua in the area where the deputy following Mr. Zurkan indicated he heard shots being fired. The casings were consistent with the ammunition in the .45 caliber handgun possessed by Mr. Zurkan during this incident.
- Both firearms were legally purchased by Mr. Zurkan in Pennsylvania.
- Mr. Zurkan’s criminal history includes a controlled substance conviction from Warren County, PA in 2011.
The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office has been assisted with this investigation by the Canandaigua Police Department and NY State Police. The Sheriff’s Office and Canandaigua Police Department consider this case closed at this time. The NYS Attorney General continues their investigation and will report their findings at a later time.
