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On October 2, Paul Kutz, a 53-year-old accountant, was killed in Poughkeepsie, New York, after being caught in the crossfire of an altercation between two homeless men.
The New York Post reported that Paul Kutz was in Poughkeepsie to visit his child, a student at Marist College. He was in the lobby of a Courtyard Marriott when the two homeless men reportedly began fighting with several people, including hotel staff, in the lobby.
One of the homeless men, identified as 35-year-old Roy Johnson Jr., is alleged to have accidentally shot Kutz in the chest and torso with an illegal firearm.
According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, Roy Johnson Jr. has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His companion, 26-year-old Devin Taylor, was arrested for second-degree criminal possession of a firearm, as he was allegedly armed with a loaded rifle.
Details of the death of Paul Kutz
In an official statement, police revealed that after being shot, Paul Kutz was transported to a hospital, where he later died. They reported that the shooting was a random incident, and that despite the fact that the victim was the father of a Marist College student, the educational institution was not under threat.
The statement read:
"One male victim was located inside the hotel.The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased."
As per authorities, Roy Johnson Jr. and Devin Taylor were guests at the hotel when the incident took place. Johnson was reportedly armed with a handgun that had been modified to fire automatically. Both him and his companion have criminal records.
Authorities reported that during the course of the investigation, they searched the suspects' hotel room, discovering the drug PCP, bombmaking manuals and materials that could potentially be used to create explosives.
According to Marist College, Paul Kutz was in Poughkeepsie for the college's family weekend, an annual event where students invite their parents and siblings. The Courtyard hotel is only 10 minutes away from the college campus.
In response to Kutz's death, the college released an online statement acknowledging the shooting.
The statement read:
“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."
The statement continued:
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are offering the full support of the Marist community to them. We remain in contact with local authorities and will keep you informed with any updates."
The case remains under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is in charge of probing Kutz's death.
