MALONE, N.Y. — The shooting death of one escaped killer brought new energy to a weeks-long hunt for a second escaped murderer as helicopters, search dogs and hundreds of law enforcement officers converged on a wooded area 30 miles from the prison.

“Of course our preference would always be to capture them alive,” New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico told a news conference as he announced late Friday the killing hours earlier of Richard Matt, one of two escaped killers from an update maximum-security prison.

He credited a tip from the public, one of over 2,300 received so far, for crucial information leading to the deadly confrontation in Malone.

D’Amico said Matt was shot by a border patrol agent when he failed to comply with commands in the woods near a cabin where a shot had been fired earlier in the day at a camping trailer. A 20-gauge shotgun was found on him, though he did not fire it at officers, he added.

“They verbally challenged him, told him to put up his hands. And at that time, he was shot when he didn’t comply,” D’Amico said.