Ex-Employee Accused In Funeral Home Shooting In Haverstraw

HAVERSTRAW, NY — An ex-employee of the TJ McGowan's Funeral Home in Haverstraw is accused of shooting and killing a former colleague in the parking lot behind the funeral home, Haverstraw police said. Police responded at 6:25 p.m. Thursday to a report of shots fired.

When they arrived, officers found a man with a handgun who ignored police commands to drop the gun. They used a Taser and then took the man into custody, said Captain Martin Lund.

Police allege the man confronted a current employee in the parking lot and then fired several shots at him. Another man saw what happened and fired his handgun at the shooter, striking him once in the shoulder, before police arrived.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The man accused of the shooting was taken to the Westchester Medical Center for treatment.

The investigation is continuing, Lund said. Police did not identify any of the men.

Rockland District Attorney Tom Walsh visited the scene. "Last night I responded with my Chief Assistant, Pat Frawley, to the scene of a shooting in the Town of Haverstraw. I was able to speak to Haverstraw Police Department’s Chief Pete Murphy and offer any assistance that he and his Department may need from my staff," he wrote Friday on Facebook. "Rest assured, the perpetrator of this crime will be held accountable for his actions. Our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this most difficult time."