Upstate NY cop kills woman, wounds another before taking her own life
A police officer in upstate New York shot and killed a 27-year-old woman before turning the gun on herself in an apparent murder-suicide on Monday, according to the Rochester Police Department.
Tiffani Gatson, 29, shot and killed Angely Solis and wounded another woman during a fight inside an upstate home before taking her own life, police told WHAM.
Gatson had been a member of the police department in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester, since 2018. She was off duty at the time of the shooting.
Police responded to a domestic violence call on Costar Street around 7:20 p.m. and found three women bleeding outside the home.
The New York Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting as required by law when a law enforcement officer commits a crime.
Solis was declared dead at the scene. Gatson was transported to an area hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.
The third victim, an unidentified woman in her 30s, was also hospitalized and is expected to recover.
The two victims were related, WHEC reported. It was unclear what Gatson’s relation to the victims was.
Investigators recovered a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun at the scene, which they determined was not Gatson’s service weapon.
“On behalf of the Town of Greece Police Department, I would like to express our collective sorrow and grief with respect to last night’s events in the City of Rochester,” the Greece Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we have seen events of this nature occur all too frequently and struggle to find answers in the aftermath. The effects are far-reaching, from those who have lost loved ones to others throughout law enforcement organizations when a police officer commits such a horrible act, to our entire community.”
f you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
