Scot Thompson | Allegany County Sheriff
In a heartbreaking twist on something of a family reunion, a 65-year-old Florida man stands accused of fatally shooting his two older brothers during an alcohol-fueled argument at a remote upstate New York hunting cabin, authorities revealed this week. What began as a chance for estranged siblings to reconnect while chasing whitetails, ended in double murder, leaving investigators to probe the dark undercurrents of familial bonds tested by isolation and old grudges.
On Sunday evening around 10:06 p.m., New York State Police Troop A responded to a frantic 911 call reporting a disturbance at 5301 Botsford Hollow Road in the tiny town of Allen, New York—a wooded enclave about 70 miles southeast of Buffalo. Upon arrival, troopers discovered two men dead from gunshot wounds inside of a hunting cabin they had rented. According to official reports, the bodies were those of Mark B. Thompson, 70, of Canterbury, Connecticut, and David E. Thompson, 69, of Port Charlotte, Florida.
According to police spokesperson Trooper James O’Callaghan, the three brothers, all of whom were originally from Dansville, New York, had gathered for a weekend outing despite years of estrangement. What is believed to have started as a verbal dispute after drinking escalated into a physical altercation.
"Alcohol was involved, and the argument turned violent," O’Callaghan told reporters.
The rented cabin
During the chaos, Scot D. Thompson, 65, of Englewood, Florida, allegedly grabbed a rifle and fired, killing his siblings in quick succession. One brother had dialed 911 mid-fight, but it was too late to intervene.
Scot Thompson fled the scene in David's vehicle, prompting an immediate manhunt involving state police, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, and Geneseo Police. Thankfully, he was apprehended without resistance about an hour later.
Autopsies later confirmed the victims died from rifle wounds, with exams conducted at a Rochester hospital. No prior criminal history for Scot was mentioned in reports, though the family's long estrangement hints at some obviously unresolved familial tensions. The specific trigger for the argument remains under investigation, but many sources maintain its spontaneous nature.
Scot Thompson was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree criminal use of a firearm. Arraigned the same day in Allegany County Court, he was remanded without bail to the county jail in Belmont, with a next court date set for February 2026. Prosecutors described the act as premeditated in the heat of the moment, but defense attorneys (not yet assigned) may explore arguments of self-defense or diminished capacity due to alcohol.
