Man fatally shoots masked son
NEW FAIRFIELD, CONN. –A fifth-grade teacher fatally shot a masked teenager in self-defence outside his neighbour’s house during what he thought was an attempted burglary, only to discover it was his son, state police said.
The killing of 15-year-old Tyler Giuliano shortly after midnight Thursday left his quiet Connecticut town of New Fairfield reeling in confusion and grief.
The teen’s father, Jeffrey Giuliano, is a popular fifthgrade teacher in the community, where there is very little violent crime. The neighbour, who is the teen’s aunt, was alone in her house and believed someone was breaking in. She called the teenager’s father, who lives next door. He grabbed a gun, went outside, confronted someone wearing a black ski mask and black clothing and fired when the person went at him with a shiny weapon in his hand, police said.
When police arrived, the teen was lying in the driveway of the woman’s home with gunshot wounds and a knife in his hand. His father, in T-shirt and shorts, was sitting on the grass. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
An officer pulled back the ski mask. It was unclear if Jeffrey Giuliano already knew it was his son. It was also unclear if the teen was trying to burglarize the house or if it was some type of prank gone wrong.
“All in all it’s a tragedy,” state police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said.
Jeffrey Giuliano did not return a message seeking comment on what happened. No one responded to knocks on the front door at his home or his sister’s. No charges have been filed.
John Hodge, the top elected official of the town of nearly 14,000 people about 80 kilometres from New York City, doesn’t recall another killing in his eight years on the job.
“You certainly don’t expect it to happen in your own small hometown where there’s very little crime.”
On Friday, a blue crimescene tent covered evidence in the driveway where Tyler was pronounced dead.
Vance said Friday that police were investigating whether the gun used was registered.
That will take at least a week. Police were also looking for leads into whether Tyler, described as an easygoing teen who loved flying and was in the Civil Air Patrol, was going to burglarize the home or meant to carry out a prank. There was no immediate word on whether he had been in trouble before.
The high school stayed open late Thursday to provide grief counselling for students and parents.
“The community is deeply saddened, and our hearts go out to all the family members,” said Alicia Roy, the superintendent of schools in New Fairfield.
She said Giuliano is a longtime resident who offers summer music and zoology camps for his students at Meeting House Hill School and plays in a band that raises a lot of money for charity.
“He wanted to teach in the community he grew up,” she said.
“He connects with the students. He’s a caring person. Very interactive class.”
Brian Wyckoff, 17, once had him as a teacher, and was a classmate of Tyler. He said “Mr. G,” as known around school, loves animals, and keeps snakes in his classroom.
“He was always walking around with a smile on his face.
“He always says “Hi” to everyone,” Wycoff said.
Tyler was a student at New Fairfield High School, a short walk from the neighbourhood where he was killed.