A man who ambushed and shot two Pennsylvania state troopers Thursday is dead, while his victims are in the hospital, officials said.

The attack took place in a rural area near Thompson shortly after 11 a.m., State Police Col. Christopher Paris told reporters after he and Gov. Josh Shapiro met with one of the wounded officers in a hospital. Troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins were said to be in stable condition with serious injuries.

Paris said the two troopers "were dispatched to check the welfare of an individual. And there was additional information about shots being fired. We will have more information about the specifics of how that call came in. But upon their arrival, they were immediately fired upon and ambushed. They are very lucky to be alive.”

Paris said the troopers' police vehicles were hit by multiple bullets.

One trooper applied a tourniquet to another, and a third trooper was able to help rescue them, Paris said. The two were flown to hospitals for medical care.

Shapiro called the two troopers heroes and said Perechinsky “saved lives,” including those of other people who were in the area.

“He acted decisively. He acted thoughtfully. And the work he did today exemplifies the absolute best of the Pennsylvania State Police,” Shapiro said.

A state police statement said the unnamed man was armed with a rifle and did not comply with demands. The statement indicated he was “ultimately shot and killed during the incident.”

The shootings took place about 5 miles north of the borough of Thompson, some 163 miles north of Philadelphia.

Erika Mills, who lives less than a mile from where the shootings took place, said it made for a terrifying day in a community that is usefully peaceful.

“This is a very very quiet town. There has never been anything comparable,” she said.