Jun 27, 2008 12:14 am US/Eastern
Woman Fatally Shot At Montclair, N.J. YMCA
Police: Incident Occurred Near Class Full Of Preschoolers
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBS) ―
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It was a grim scene both inside and outside a Montclair, N.J., YMCA on June 26 after a man shot his ex-wife in front of their 11-year-old daughter following a dispute.
CBS
It was an attack beyond comprehension.
Police say at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Thursday a man walked into the Helen and Bill Geyer YMCA Family Center, which was filled with children, and killed his ex. Among the children who witnessed the murder was the victim's 11-year-old daughter.
Try to picture what happened if you can. A woman is watching her 4-year-old boy take early swim lessons. It's a great summer evening. There were about 50 people in the YMCA, but the only one sitting next to the victim was her 11-year-old daughter. And that little girl suddenly sees her father come rushing up.
The two parents get into an argument, and he shoots the little girl's mother.
There were tears flowing outside the YMCA after the victim's sister-in-law found out that 31-year-old Monica Paul was killed by her common-law husband, 37-year-old Kenneth A. Duckett.
"At the time of the shooting she was seated outside the pool area which was in use by one of her sons, a 4-year-old, and other children at the time who were in pre-swim classes," Essex County prosecutor Paula Dow said.
Authorities said the dispute appeared to be domestic in nature, and investigators believe Duckett was in violation of a restraining order issued late last year.
"Right now we are fairly confident in saying it appears to be a targeted incident that was directed at this poor individual," Dow said. "It doesn't appear to be random -- he seemed to be going after her."
Later, more relatives arrived and were given the painful news no one wanted to hear. One gentleman CBS 2 HD caught on camera tried to give the victim assistance, we're told, but was too late. He did, however, help get the preschoolers out of the swimming area.
Montclair Police Deputy Chief Perry Mayers was among the first to run inside.
"As you can imagine, there were a number of people in there, so it was kind of hectic," Mayers said. "People were upset. Obviously there had been a shooting. People were scattered about."
CBS 2 HD has learned the glass the victim was looking through at the time of the shooting was shattered by the gunshot. It is believed that was the only thing the other children in attendance witnessed, not the shooting itself.
Police are looking for the suspect. He was said to have driven off in a white Jeep that was abandoned and found in nearby Orange. The police are also looking for a 25-year-old accomplice, a man believed to be around 5-foot-5, 140 pounds. At the time he was wearing a yellow shirt.
Please stay with CBS 2 HD and wcbstv.com for more on this developing story.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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