Four dead after Greenwich Village shootout

[darthadv]

Sad story I thought was worthy of posting here; I went to school in the area and am intimately familiar with the neighborhood, plus it's the world famous Village. Cafe Wha? (uncle Manny's place) is just around the corner from where this happened, and Washington Square Park is only a block away (where a certain someone got busted buying a dimebag a few years ago). I can't really say that it's been known for this kind of violence in the past.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/15/nyc...out/index.html

Story Highlights
• Gunman shoots pizzeria waiter, two unarmed officers; police kill gunman
• Shooter's motive unknown; police investigating
• Police found second gun, 100 rounds of ammunition, fake beard at the scene
• Bloomberg: "A horrible night for New York Police Department and for our city"

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A gunman wearing a fake beard shot a waiter 15 times at a pizzeria Wednesday night and then killed two unarmed volunteer police officers during a chase, according to New York City police.

The man was later shot to death by police in a gunbattle in the city's Greenwich Village.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the shootings "devastating."

Police said it began when David Gavin, 32, walked into DeMarco's Pizzeria on West Houston Street, at MacDougal Street, around 9 p.m.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said according to witnesses, Gavin appeared to be wearing a beard as a disguise.

DeMarco employee Alfredo Romaro, 35, offered him a menu. When Romaro turned to leave, Gavin shot him in the back 15 times, Kelly said.

The gunman fled down the street where he encountered unarmed volunteer police officers Eugene Marshalik, 19, and Nicholas Pekearo, 28. The officers were responding to a call for help at the pizzeria.

Gavin shot and killed them both -- one in the head, the second in the torso, a statement by police said.

Gavin was eventually cornered by officers who heard the initial shots. Gavin was killed during an exchange of gunfire, police said.

A witness told The Associated Press the shooting went on for "a good five minutes."

Another witness, James Dunham, said he was in his Italian restaurant on nearby Bleecker Street when he heard "what sounded like fireworks."

Dunham saw people running for shelter and saw police instructing the gunman to drop a bag before they opened fire on him.

"I've been here for eight years and I've never seen anything like this," he said.

The gunman, both volunteer officers and the pizzeria employee were transported to St. Vincent's Hospital where they were confirmed dead, Kelly said.

Other officers at the scene were injured and were taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, Bloomberg said. He did not say how many were injured. According to a police statement, the hospital listed them in stable condition.

More ammo, fake beard
Kelly said police recovered a 9 mm handgun and a belt with two ammunition pouches at the scene and that the gunman appeared to be ready to shoot more people. A nearby bag contained a second semi-automatic weapon, 100 rounds of unspent ammunition and a fake beard, he said.

Police are investigating a motive. At a news conference late Wednesday Bloomberg called it "inexplicable."

Bloomberg lamented the loss of two volunteer police officers.

"Since I became mayor, not even one auxiliary police officer has been lost," he said. "Tonight was a horrible night for the New York Police Department and for our city."

Bloomberg said Marshalik, an immigrant from Russia and New York University student, was two weeks away from his 20th birthday.

Pekearo, he said, lived nearby in Greenwich Village and had served as an auxiliary officer since June 2003.

"It could have been a lot worse," Bloomberg said. "Without the actions of our brave officers most likely it would have been."

[fullbug5150]

Sad story I thought was worthy of posting here; I went to school in the area and am intimately familiar with the neighborhood, plus it's the world famous Village. Cafe Wha? (uncle Manny's place) is just around the corner from where this happened, and Washington Square Park is only a block away (where a certain someone got busted buying a dimebag a few years ago). I can't really say that it's been known for this kind of violence in the past.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/15/nyc...out/index.html

Story Highlights
• Gunman shoots pizzeria waiter, two unarmed officers; police kill gunman
• Shooter's motive unknown; police investigating
• Police found second gun, 100 rounds of ammunition, fake beard at the scene
• Bloomberg: "A horrible night for New York Police Department and for our city"

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A gunman wearing a fake beard shot a waiter 15 times at a pizzeria Wednesday night and then killed two unarmed volunteer police officers during a chase, according to New York City police.

The man was later shot to death by police in a gunbattle in the city's Greenwich Village.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the shootings "devastating."

Police said it began when David Gavin, 32, walked into DeMarco's Pizzeria on West Houston Street, at MacDougal Street, around 9 p.m.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said according to witnesses, Gavin appeared to be wearing a beard as a disguise.

DeMarco employee Alfredo Romaro, 35, offered him a menu. When Romaro turned to leave, Gavin shot him in the back 15 times, Kelly said.

The gunman fled down the street where he encountered unarmed volunteer police officers Eugene Marshalik, 19, and Nicholas Pekearo, 28. The officers were responding to a call for help at the pizzeria.

Gavin shot and killed them both -- one in the head, the second in the torso, a statement by police said.

Gavin was eventually cornered by officers who heard the initial shots. Gavin was killed during an exchange of gunfire, police said.

A witness told The Associated Press the shooting went on for "a good five minutes."

Another witness, James Dunham, said he was in his Italian restaurant on nearby Bleecker Street when he heard "what sounded like fireworks."

Dunham saw people running for shelter and saw police instructing the gunman to drop a bag before they opened fire on him.

"I've been here for eight years and I've never seen anything like this," he said.

The gunman, both volunteer officers and the pizzeria employee were transported to St. Vincent's Hospital where they were confirmed dead, Kelly said.

Other officers at the scene were injured and were taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, Bloomberg said. He did not say how many were injured. According to a police statement, the hospital listed them in stable condition.

More ammo, fake beard
Kelly said police recovered a 9 mm handgun and a belt with two ammunition pouches at the scene and that the gunman appeared to be ready to shoot more people. A nearby bag contained a second semi-automatic weapon, 100 rounds of unspent ammunition and a fake beard, he said.

Police are investigating a motive. At a news conference late Wednesday Bloomberg called it "inexplicable."

Bloomberg lamented the loss of two volunteer police officers.

"Since I became mayor, not even one auxiliary police officer has been lost," he said. "Tonight was a horrible night for the New York Police Department and for our city."

Bloomberg said Marshalik, an immigrant from Russia and New York University student, was two weeks away from his 20th birthday.

Pekearo, he said, lived nearby in Greenwich Village and had served as an auxiliary officer since June 2003.

"It could have been a lot worse," Bloomberg said. "Without the actions of our brave officers most likely it would have been."

Im on the LES very close to this,

[darthadv]

Im on the LES very close to this,

LES?

[Scotty]

Is that near John's Pizzeria?

[darthadv]

i haven't been down there in a while, but there is a pizzeria i believe on the corner of bleeker st (or maybe the next block, on sullivan or thompson st), but i don't remember the name...

[Scotty]

Yeah, John's is on Bleeker if I remember correctly.

[darthadv]

From www.nydailynews.com:

The pizzeria at the center of the Greenwich Village massacre is owned by the daughter of Domenic De Marco - considered by many New Yorkers to make the best pizza in the city.

De Marco's tiny shop in Midwood, Brooklyn, known as Di Fara's, has drawn pizza lovers for decades.

The thin and crispy pies, made fresh by De Marco himself, are topped with three types of cheese, just the right amount of olive oil and fresh basil grown in the store.

De Marco's daughter Margaret Miles, known as Maggie to her family, opened De Marco's Pizzeria & Restaurant in Manhattan - where yesterday's bloodbath began - about three years ago.

By several accounts, she and her crew at the W. Houston St. eatery have created a decent, but not perfect, facsimile of her dad's pizza, emulating the three-cheese formula.

De Marco's does have one thing the no-frills Di Fara's lacks - candlelit tables and racks of wine against the wall.

But the place may be short on longevity. Even before the shooting, it was rumored that De Marco's would be closing soon.

[billy007]

LES?

Lower East Side?

[darthadv]

Lower East Side?

that makes sense... didn't register with me initially... thanks

[Guitar Shark]

Supposedly, Brandon Short (linebacker for the Giants) was a witness to the shooting. He was reportedly with a friend in a jewelry store adjacent to where the shooter went to reload.