N.J. boy, father dead in shooting
PATERSON, N.J. - Paterson officials say a man chased down and shot his wife and their two young sons yesterday - killing one boy - before an off-duty police officer fatally shot the man.
It was not clear what had led to the gunfire around 9 a.m. in the area of Madison Street and Broadway, and police declined to speculate.
Seven-year-old Adrian Gonzales was pronounced dead at the scene. His 11-year-old brother, Edryn, and their mother, Johanna, 31, were hospitalized in critical condition. Police would not disclose details of their injuries.
Father and husband Edelmiro Gonzales, 54, was also taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later.
Shortly after the shooting, police cordoned off two blocks in the area and recovered some shell casings, but it was not known what type of weapon had been used. Officers remained on the scene for several hours.
Will Hayes, a city resident who witnessed the shooting, told the Record of Bergen County that the gunman had run after the three victims and fired "multiple shots."
He said the off-duty officer, who was in a car at a fast-food restaurant, saw what was happening and confronted the man, telling him to stop and drop his weapon.
When the gunman refused the order, the officer shot him, Hayes said.
"One kid was trying to get up," Hayes said. "They were young. I started crying."
