A grandmother shot her son’s ex-girlfriend dead in a gruesome ambush before killing herself in broad daylight on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Kathleen Leigh, 65, a retired Chicago probation officer, shot Marisa Galloway, 45, as she loaded her son into a car Friday morning.
Police responded to a 911 call from someone who heard three gunshots and reported seeing two women lying on the ground in a pile of blood.
The shooting occurred outside an apartment building on 88th Street, just half a block from Gracie Mansion, the home of New York City’s mayor.
Surveillance footage shows Galloway bending down to place his 1-year-old daughter’s car seat in the back of the Honda moments before the shooting occurred.
Kathleen Leigh, 65, a retired Chicago probation officer, shot Marisa Galloway, 45, as she loaded her son into a car Friday morning.
Leigh approached and fired two bullets at Galloway, once in the head and once in the back, before ending his own life with a shot to the head.
He then placed the stroller in the trunk and Leigh approached and fired two bullets at Galloway, once in the head and once in the back, before ending his own life with a shot to the head.
Leigh died at the scene while Galloway was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed that a custody battle was the cause of the brutal murder-suicide.
The 1-year-old child present during the incident was unharmed, police said.
Previous reports incorrectly stated the boy was 4 years old.
Officers recovered two firearms: a loaded 9mm handgun on the sidewalk near the car and a second handgun in Leigh’s purse.
Leigh died at the scene while Galloway was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The shooting occurred outside an apartment building on 88th Street, just half a block from Gracie Mansion, the home of New York City’s mayor.
Police cordon off scene of deadly shooting over custody dispute
According to police, there have been at least five reports logged by the New York Police Department about domestic disputes within the family, as well as two other complaint reports.
“She is a retired Cook County probation officer who has lived in New York City with family members for the past three years,” Kenny said.
Galloway was a professor and track coach at Fordham University.
The university, commenting on the tragic incident, wrote that they are “deeply saddened by the tragic death… We keep Marissa and her loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”
As of Friday afternoon, no arrests had been made. The New York Police Department is still investigating the incident.
