NJ Cop Has A "Bad, Bad, Bad Day" ... Kills Five
Bill Schenley
Six hours after finishing a routine patrol, a Jersey
Shore police officer shot and killed five neighbors
and wounded his police chief before turning his
gun on himself, authorities said.
The body of Edward Lutes, 42, a 17-year veteran
with the Seaside Heights Police Department, was
found yesterday morning in his car, the engine still
running, in the driveway of a house in nearby
Barnegat Township. The house, not far from where
Police Chief James Costello was shot, apparently
was chosen at random.
In the car, police found the .40-caliber handgun Lutes
used to kill himself and the MP5 police-issued
submachine gun he used late Tuesday night to kill his
neighbors, three of whom lived across the street from
him, two of whom lived behind his house. Costello, whom
Lutes shot in the leg and wrist as the chief was leaving his
home to respond to one of the shootings, is expected to
fully recover.
Killed in one home were Dominick Galliano, 51, his wife,
Gail Galliano, 49, and their son, Christopher, 25.
Christopher Galliano was found near the doorway, his father
in the bathroom and his mother near the entrance to a
bedroom. Killed in the other home were Gary Williams, 48,
and his wife, Tina Williams, 46. Gary Williams was found in
the kitchen; Tina Williams was found on the sofa in the living
room. Their grown son, whom police did not identify, escaped
by climbing out a rear window.
The shootings were an eerie echo of a February rampage about
a mile away, in which retired Newark police officer John Mabie
allegedly shot and killed his granddaughter and three neighbors,
also in Toms River.
Ocean County prosecutor Greg Sakowicz said Lutes and the
neighbors he shot had some "deal of acrimony ... several matters
that were the subject of ill feelings ... Certainly it wasn't a random
shooting." He declined to be more specific about Lutes' disputes
with neighbors.
Dover Township Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said the
department has a police report in which one of the slain neighbors
alleged Lutes slashed a car tire. No charges were filed.
Barbara Fernicola, who lived around the corner from Lutes, said
there was tension between Lutes and the neighbors he killed,
although she said she didn't know the source.
Neighbors seemed aware of the hard feelings, but they said
Lutes did not appear obsessed by them.
"It's not like he talked about it much," said Stan Jakubczak,
who lives two houses away. "I'd see him out walking his dogs.
He was friendly. We'd chat. He didn't talk about what was
going on [with neighbors]."
If anything set apart Lutes, some neighbors said, it was how
friendly he was.
"He'd always stop, give you a wave," said Fernicola, whose
grandson attends elementary school with Lutes' daughter.
"Most people who live here are unsociable. They ignore you. He
was a very nice man, always respectful and sociable. Something
must have made him snap."
Other neighbors found Lutes less pleasant.
"He'd stand with his mean face, just watering the lawn like he
was having a bad, bad day, always," said Cara Reilly, 20.
Lutes, who is divorced, had custody of his daughter, who is
in sixth grade. His ex-wife has custody of their son. Also living
at Lutes' home was his girlfriend and her daughter. Police said the
girls were at home at the time of the shooting, which happened
shortly after 9 p.m. The neighborhood sits at the western end
of the causeway that links the mainland to the barrier island
community where Lutes worked.
The police force in Seaside Heights employs 24 officers, 60 in
the summer when seasonal residents and tourists fill its boardwalk,
amusement parks, tattoo parlors and crackerbox motels. Lutes was
one of the department's more experienced officers, handling himself
so well in emergencies that he was recommended to train with the
county's elite tactical unit. That is why he was issued an MP5, an
efficient weapon that holds about 30 rounds. All of his victims were
shot several times, authorities said
MadCow57
When I have a bad day, I kill a half a bottle of white zin. Other people I
know can kill a six-pack on even a good day.
Donna L. Bridges
alt.obituaries <uba4rf9...@corp.supernews.com> "Bill Schenley"
<stra...@erie.net> shared:
>Ocean County prosecutor Greg Sakowicz said Lutes and the
>neighbors he shot had some "deal of acrimony ... several matters
>that were the subject of ill feelings ... Certainly it wasn't a random
>shooting." He declined to be more specific about Lutes' disputes
>with neighbors.
Local news reported that one of the people he shot & killed who was a
neighbor had been accused of molesting Lutes' daughter but was not
found guilty & that that was the source of the acrimony, toward the
neighbor he considered a pedophile & against the system that did not
provide justice.
--
DonnaB 8^> BA*RF GAG, RATSFuzz, CCWF, LGAW, GRITS, SWATCHr, ARIAA, MPW
Yahoo! Messenger: shallotpeel <*>
"What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your
entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't
know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving
you mad." - Morpheus THE MATRIX [1999]
Bill Schenley
> >neighbors he shot had some "deal of acrimony ... several matters
> >that were the subject of ill feelings ... Certainly it wasn't a random
> >shooting." He declined to be more specific about Lutes' disputes
> >with neighbors.
> Local news reported that one of the people he shot & killed who was a
> neighbor had been accused of molesting Lutes' daughter but was not
> found guilty & that that was the source of the acrimony, toward the
> neighbor he considered a pedophile & against the system that did not
> provide justice.
What about the other family? I mean, the guy wiped out half his
block.
Anyway, Thanks. It's better than my "He-borrowed-my-hedge
-clippers-and-never-returned-them" theory.
Donna L. Bridges
alt.obituaries <ubbq6ta...@corp.supernews.com> "Bill Schenley"
<stra...@erie.net> shared:
Yeah, no explanation for the others. One could guess that it was
people 'taking sides', but, ????
--
DonnaB 8^> BA*RF GAG, RATSFuzz, CCWF, LGAW, GRITS, SWATCHr, ARIAA, MPW
Yahoo! Messenger: shallotpeel <*>
"Other advertisers should pay attention to P&G's [Procter & Gamble's]
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on P&G's decision not to advertise on Dr. Laura Schlessinger's planned
TV show because she is anti-gay, May 29, 200
Mary Campbell
> While hoping for spring on Thu, 11 Apr 2002 15:49:21 -0400, in
> alt.obituaries <ubbq6ta...@corp.supernews.com> "Bill Schenley"
> <stra...@erie.net> shared:
>
>>> neighbor had been accused of molesting Lutes' daughter but was not
>>> found guilty & that that was the source of the acrimony, toward the
>>> neighbor he considered a pedophile & against the system that did not
>>> provide justice.
>>
>>What about the other family? I mean, the guy wiped out half his
>>block.
>
> people 'taking sides', but, ????
According to the latest report at www.newsday.com, a member of the other
family testified on behalf of the man who was acquitted of allegedly
exposing himself to Lutes' daughter.
No reason given so far for Lutes shooting his boss, the Seaside Heights police
chief (the police chief survived the shooting and is in stable condition).
Harry Krause
Well, that's better than killing the whole bottle when you have a good
day, eh?
--
Harry Krause
- -
Do you mind first inflating the stomachs of my members? - John L. Lewis,
talking to Congress about inflation
PirateJohn
SadCow makes me think that her normal consumption would be more like half a
fifth of cheap gin. Erik the Loon, on the other hand, clearly is putting away
about 12 bottles of Pabst every time he posts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Keeper of the Humour List at http://members.aol.com/PirateJohn/pirate1.html
"Mother, mother ocean... I have heard your call" - Jimmy Buffett, A Pirate
Looks At Forty.
Bill Schenley
> > > Gail Galliano, 49, and their son, Christopher, 25.
> > > Christopher Galliano was found near the doorway, his father
> > > in the bathroom and his mother near the entrance to a
> > > bedroom. Killed in the other home were Gary Williams, 48,
> > > and his wife, Tina Williams, 46. Gary Williams was found in
> > > the kitchen; Tina Williams was found on the sofa in the living
> > > room. Their grown son, whom police did not identify, escaped
> > > by climbing out a rear window.
> >What about the other family? I mean, the guy wiped out half his
> >block.
> >Anyway, Thanks. It's better than my "He-borrowed-my-hedge
> >-clippers-and-never-returned-them" theory.
> Yeah, no explanation for the others. One could guess that it was
> people 'taking sides', but, ????
Just read in Newsday that it was Galliano who was
accused of molesting Lutes daughter and the other
family, the Williams' ... testified on Galliano's behalf.
Supposedly, he shot the police chief for admonishing
him because he slashed Galliano's tires.