Paul Kutz Poughkeepsie shooting: CPA dad from Long Island visiting Marist student child during family weekend in upstate NY killed by stray bullet during gun fight between two homeless men. Roy Johnson Jr. and Devin Taylor arrested.
Two homeless have been arrested following the fatal shooting of a father who was hit by a stray bullet while visiting his student child during Family Weekend at upstate N.Y Marist College accordign to a report.
Paul Kutz, a 53-year-old CPA from Long Island was killed while standing inside the lobby of a local Courtyard Marriott on Sunday morning, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported.
The father of three was shot in the chest and torso by bullets fired during a gun fight between two homeless men inside the hotel.
Kutz who ran an accounting firm alongside his brother for the last 32 years, was taken to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he was pronounced dead. No one else was injured at the hotel.
Two male suspects staying at the hotel were arrested at the scene. Both have prior criminal records and alleged gang ties.
Suspects were high on PCP prior to random fatal shooting
Roy Johnson Jr., 35 — who is accused of pulling the trigger — was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Journal.
Johnson had gotten into an argument with hotel workers and others in the lobby when he opened fire, striking Kutz in what a senior law enforcement official called ‘a random act,’ according to NBC-NY.
He allegedly used a .9-mm semi-automatic handgun that was modified with a Glock switch that made it fully automatic and fired off more than two dozen shots, NBC-NY reported.
Devin Taylor, 26, was also arrested on charges of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for carrying a loaded .223-caliber rifle with no serial number, the Journal reported.
Investigators searched the hotel room the men shared and discovered materials that could be used to make explosives as well as bomb-making manuals.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating. Authorities believe there is no threat to the public at this time.
The suspects had been smoking a PCP-like substance in their room before the shooting, the senior official told NBC.
Suspects did not know father visiting during family weekend
Police said Johnson and Taylor had been staying at the hotel at 2641 South Road, but it was not clear how long they had been there. Chief Joseph Cavaliere declined to elaborate on what may have led to the shooting in the hotel. He said Johnson and Taylor did not know Kutz.
Both men were arraigned and are being held at the Dutchess County Jail. They are due back in Poughkeepsie Town Court on Oct. 7.
Marist College on Monday confirmed the death of the student’s parent.
‘Yesterday morning, authorities made us aware of the tragic, fatal shooting of a parent of a Marist student at a local hotel several miles from campus,’ a Marist spokesman said in a statement obtained by the nypost.
‘Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are offering the full support of the Marist community. We remain in contact with local authorities and will keep our community informed with any updates.’
The shooting came as the school celebrated Family Weekend, in which students are encouraged to invite their families for sports, entertainment and other activities.
