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A suspect is in custody after a massive motel fire in New York that killed six people, injured at least two others and left dozens of guests displaced, state police said.Tyler J. Russell, 24, was arrested and charged with six counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of arson in the early morning inferno that tore through the Knights Inn in Broome County, New York State Police wrote in a news release.According to troopers, just after 6 a.m. on Monday, June 22, local first responders received multiple reports of a fire at the motel in Endwell, a hamlet near the New York and Pennsylvania state lines.Crews with the Endwell Fire Department arrived to find the motel fully engulfed and "heavy black smoke in the front of the building and flames showing from the rear of the building."The fire spread rapidly, police said, and additional fire departments and law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Office of Fire and the Broome County Office of Emergency Services, arrived to assist.At least two people were transported to a hospital and six people died in the fire, troopers wrote.In its release, the New York State Police said the victims' identities will be released "at a later time." "First and foremost, our deepest thoughts and continuous prayers are with the victims and their families who were impacted by this morning's tragic events," the Endwell Fire Department said in a statement on Facebook. "Please know that our entire department and community stand with you during this incredibly difficult time."The American Red Cross was assisting the displaced guests, police said, and a temporary shelter was set up at the Vestal United Methodist Church. A volunteer with the Red Cross estimated that 73 residents were displaced by the fire, reported the Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network.How did the New York motel fire start?The exact cause and origin of the fire was not immediately released by police.But as a result of the ongoing investigation and after consultation with the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, troopers arrested Russell on manslaughter and arson charges about 8:30 p.m. ET that same day and booked him into the Broome County Jail.It was not immediately known whether Russell, who police said lives in Endwell, had posted bond or obtained an attorney to represent him on the felony charges he faces.A motive in the fire was also not immediately known.Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
