Upper East Side
Two Women Dead in Murder-Suicide in Manhattan, NY
Police recovered two weapons at the scene: a loaded 9mm Glock and another gun inside a tote bag.
Manhattan, NY — In a shocking incident that has left the Upper East Side community reeling, two women are dead following a murder-suicide on Friday morning. The tragic event unfolded around 9 a.m. on July 26, 2024, near 519 East 88th Street, just half a block from Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to several 911 calls reporting gunshots in the area. Upon arrival, officers from the 19th Precinct discovered two women lying on the ground. One woman was found behind a parked white Honda Civic, while the other was on the sidewalk. The victim, identified as 45-year-old Marissa Galloway of East 86th Street, was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The shooter, identified as 65-year-old Kathleen Lee from Chicago, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the incident was captured on surveillance video. The footage shows Galloway placing her 1-year-old child in the back seat of her car and then moving to the trunk to stow a stroller. At this moment, Lee approached and shot Galloway once in the head and once in the back as she lay on the ground. Lee then turned the gun on herself.
"We have on video Ms. Galloway putting the child in the back seat of the car," Kenny explained. "She is then in the process of putting the stroller in the trunk when she is approached by Ms. Lee, who shoots her in the head, and then when she's on the ground, shoots her in the back."
The motive behind the shooting appears to be an ongoing custody battle between Galloway and the father of her 4-year-old son, who is also Lee's grandson. Chief Kenny revealed that this dispute had resulted in five domestic incident reports and two complaint reports being filed with the NYPD. However, no arrests were made in connection with these reports.
The violent incident has stunned the quiet, affluent neighborhood of Yorkville. Local resident Naomi Eisenberg, who has lived in the area for 13 years, expressed her shock and concern. "Nothing like this has ever happened here," she said. "I walk my dog by there every day. I hate that the city has become dangerous. I don’t take the subway; I walk. It is terrible, and it’s even scarier to be a Jew. I’m okay in my neighborhood, but there are areas that I will not go to."
Another witness, who was outside cleaning up when the shooting occurred, recounted the terrifying moments. "I ducked into my doorway for cover," the witness said. "And then I looked up and saw the lady with the white hair fall onto the sidewalk. I thought something might have happened down by Gracie Mansion, and she was hit by a stray bullet. But then when I went closer, I saw there was another woman lying behind the car who was also shot."
Police recovered two weapons at the scene: a loaded 9mm Glock found on the sidewalk between the two women and another gun inside a tote bag that Lee was carrying. Lee, a retired probation officer from Cook County, Illinois, had been living with family members in New York City for the past three years. Authorities are investigating whether either firearm was connected to her time in law enforcement.
The 1-year-old child in the backseat of the car was found physically unharmed. The 4-year-old child, who was the subject of the custody dispute, was not present at the scene.
As the investigation continues, the community remains in shock, grappling with the sudden and violent loss of two lives. The NYPD has urged anyone with additional information to come forward as they piece together the events leading up to this tragic incident.
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