Leo Gillick
A retirement community in Long Island has exploded with an altercation that resulted in one elderly pensioner allegedly shooting another with a flare.
Videos by Rare
What Happened: Footage from the scene shows what went down with the two elderly people leading up to the flare attack. The victim, 67-year-old Richard Catrone, can be seen walking his dog. He is facing 76-year-old Kathleen Schuman, the accused, talking about something.
- Schuman, having had enough of the conversation, pulls out a flare and shoots it at point-blank range. It hits the elderly man square in the face. He then rushes her, knocking the woman to the ground.
- The scuffle continues on the ground, with Catrone calling her an idiot as he pulls her hair. They struggled on the ground before the incident broke up.
Boiling Point: This wasn’t a knee jerk reaction it seems. The two residents of the elderly peoples retirement home had history before the flare attack. The squabble allegedly stemmed from a disagreement over pets.
- According to a neighboring resident at the retirement home, “he started harassing her because he said her cat was always upsetting his dog, and she would sit outside with it.” Continuing, they said, “She actually moved out to live with her sister for a few months. She just moved back a week ago, and he just keeps bothering her.”
Denied Flare Charges
Despite there being video evidence of the flare attack by the elderly woman, she has pleaded not guilty. She is facing charges of one count of second-degree assault, causing injury with a weapon. She is due to appear in court on Friday, Sept. 12.
- Furthermore, her bail is set at $5,000, and she has been ordered to stay away from the victim.
The flare did a fair bit of damage, and the two elderly people both came out with bumps and bruises. According to the report, Catrone needed six stitches from the flare attack. But, he didn’t go down without a fight. Schuman can be seen sporting her own war wounds in images taken from the court date.
You would be forgiven for thinking retirement communities are safe places.
