Jul 18, 2008 11:50 pm US/Eastern
2 Dead, 1 Hurt In Murder-Suicide Office Shooting
Dispute Between Man And Ex-Girlfriend Ends In Tragedy At Long Island Aflac Office
BOHEMIA, N.Y. (CBS) ―
Gunfire erupted at a Long Island office on Friday in a crime of passion. A man shot his ex-girlfriend to death before taking his own life.
At the home of the murder victim, there were tears and anger over a life cut short at the hands of an ex-boyfriend who came to her place of work with a gun, then orchestrated a murder-suicide.
"Apparently he repeatedly asked her to come outside so he could speak with her and when her boss noticed this was becoming a problem, he tried to get her to come into a separate office and that's when the shooting began," said Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick of the Suffolk County Police Department.
The boss who was trying to help, Gary Destefano, was shot multiple times and airlifted to a nearby hospital. Police said the gunman, 37-year-old William Lynch, shot 20-year-old Tiana Stokely in the chest, then turned the handgun on himself.
This tragedy came even though the victim had an order of protection against her ex- boyfriend that had been in place since January. But the piece of paper could only do so much.
"Apparently this past Monday he assaulted her and he's been wanted by the police since then," Lt. Fitzpatrick said.
On Friday, the gunman walked through the front doors of the office building that houses several businesses, and found the Aflac insurance company where his ex- was a part-time clerk.
"It's a tragedy, you know, anytime anybody loses their life for any reason," neighbor Troy St. John said.
The murder-suicide scene was unsettling for those living nearby.
"It's scary," Renae Puca said. "It's a little too close to home. I feel safe here normally, but I guess it can happen anywhere"
On this day, in a span of about a minute, it happened here.
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