On Monday, Patrick K. Shea, 37, was sentenced in Broome County Court to seven years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision on charges manslaughter and arson in connection with the February 2025 fire that killed Binghamton firefighter John “JR” Gaudet.

Shea pled guilty to the charges after a grand jury indictment back in March 2025 originally charged him with second-degree murder. Shea, who did not have a permanent address at the time of the incident, admitted to intentionally starting a fire in the vacant building to keep warm.

The three-alarm fire started on the night of Feb. 12, 2025 at an abandoned building located at 1 and 3 Main St. As firefighters responded to the blaze, a structural collapse occurred while crews were inside the building. Gaudet, an 11-year Binghamton Fire Department veteran, became trapped under the fallen debris and was pronounced dead shortly afterward at UHS Wilson Medical Center. Two other firefighters sustained injuries during the rescue attempt and were released from UHS Wilson the next morning.

Investigators later determined that the fire arose as a result of “human involvement.” On March 13, 2025, authorities arrested Shea in the town of Kirkwood, New York following an investigation.

The death of Gaudet — a husband, father of three, youth sports coach and longtime firefighter — resulted in an outpouring of grief from the local community and the national firefighting community. A GoFundMe campaign and several local fundraisers has raised over $300,000 to assist Gaudet’s widow and his young children.

His sacrifice also received national recognition when he was posthumously honored at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards last November. The Tunnel to Towers Stephen Siller Award, presented to his widow, Felly Gaudet, recognized his service and deep commitment to the Binghamton community.

“This journey of grief, losing your loved one, the biggest fear that I have is people forgetting him, people forgetting his laugh, his stories, his sacrifice,” said Felly while accepting the award on her late husband’s behalf. “But tonight you all reminded me that he’s not forgotten, that you also remember him, not just as a hero to his community, but who he was to us, his family.”

On Feb. 12, 2026, hundreds of Binghamton residents and first responders congregated on the Court Street Bridge to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Gaudet’s death with a candlelight vigil. To honor the service that Gaudet committed to his family and community, the Binghamton officially renamed West End Park to “JR Gaudet Memorial Park,” a space where he played lacrosse as a child and later coached his own children.

Shea was sentenced to seven years in state prison and five years post-release supervision on charges of manslaughter and arson in the Broome County Court on Monday, April 6. Members of the BFD, the Binghamton Police Department and Gaudet’s family were in attendance. At the sentencing, Shea apologized for his actions and spoke about his drug addiction.

Shea was sentenced by County Court Judge Carol Cocchiola.

“I know each and every one of you will honor JR Gaudet every day in your profession when you get that call out and you go running into the building when everyone else is running out,” she told the firefighters present.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, entered on Jan. 8, the second-degree murder charge, which carried a potential sentence of 25 years to life, was reduced to charges of first-degree manslaughter and fourth-degree arson. Since his initial arrest and indictment, Shea has remained in custody without bail.