The violence appeared to be aimed at law enforcement, or at the government, the commissioner said. There did not appear to be a threat to the public, he said, although he said residents should be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious behavior. The authorities did not believe the suspect was in the area near the barracks because they had conducted an extensive search on Saturday, he said.

Commissioner Noonan confirmed that the state police were interviewing a “person of interest” in connection with the shootings, but said that the person was not considered a suspect, and that they simply wanted to speak with him. The authorities were talking to hundreds of people and would be talking to hundreds more, he said.

At the news conference, Commissioner Noonan declined to say whether more than one suspect had been involved in the shootings. Officials announced that the local Crime Stoppers group had offered a $20,000 reward for information in the case.

“It’s a grave concern to us,” Commissioner Noonan said of the shooting, “and we are putting every resource available to the Pennsylvania State Police or law enforcement in Pennsylvania in action.”

Blooming Grove, a township in Pike County with a population of about 5,000, is about 35 miles east of Scranton and close to Pennsylvania’s border with New York and New Jersey. Law enforcement officials from those states were assisting in the manhunt, which was being conducted on foot and in helicopters. The township has thousands of acres of state forest and game lands.