Grief over Conn. teen mistakenly killed by dad

Visitors arrive at the home of Jeffrey Giuliano in New Fairfield, Conn., Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Giuliano fatally shot a masked teenager in self-defense during what appeared to be an attempted burglary early Thursday morning, then discovered that he had killed his son, Tyler, state police said. / AP Photo/Jessica Hill

NEW FAIRFIELD, Conn. Tyler Giuliano had no trouble with the law. The teenager loved flying small planes as a Civil Air Patrol cadet and seemed happy as he played an online game with friends Wednesday night. But hours later, authorities say, Tyler was outside wearing a black ski mask and wielding a knife when he was shot by his father, who thought he was a prowler.

No immediate charges were brought against Jeffrey Giuliano, a popular fifth-grade teacher, in the slaying of 15-year-old Tyler, who was gunned down in his aunt's driveway next door to his own home in New Fairfield around 1 a.m. Thursday.

"It's something out of a Hollywood script," said John Hodge, the first selectman, or top elected official, in the town of nearly 14,000 people about 50 miles from New York City. He said he couldn't recall another killing in his eight years on the job.

State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said the boy had never been in trouble with the law, and some of those who knew him described him as a good kid with an easygoing personality. Investigators and acquaintances said they were at a loss to explain what he was doing outside dressed all in black and carrying a weapon.

"Certainly, that is the major question we are trying to answer at this point," Vance said.

• Tyler Giuliano, masked teenage intruder, unknowingly shot dead by his father

State police said the shooting happened after Jeffrey Giuliano got a call from his sister next door saying that someone might be trying to break into her home in their neighborhood of attractive colonial-style houses. Giuliano grabbed a handgun and went outside to investigate, troopers said.

He confronted someone in a ski mask and opened fire when the person came at him with something shiny in his hand, police said.

When police officers arrived, Tyler was lying dead in the driveway with a knife in his hand, and his father, in a T-shirt and shorts, was sitting on the grass. Detectives informed the elder Giuliano several hours later that he had shot his son, Vance said.

"All in all, it's a tragedy," Vance said.

Police were investigating whether the father's gun was registered.

No one answered the door at Giuliano's home or his sister's.

Tyler was a student at New Fairfield High School and a Civil Air Patrol cadet. Some of those who knew him said he enjoyed spending time with family and flying gliders and small planes. He was adopted by Giuliano and his wife a few years ago, friends said.

One classmate said many students were baffled by what happened.

"I just thought it was so weird when I heard because I knew Tyler, not very well, but he was just a sweet person and he always made everyone laugh. I met him in the chorus room, actually, and he just wasn't the type to do what happened," said Erin Pallas, 16. "So it didn't make sense to us. It doesn't make sense to the student body."

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[Happyeastender]

Most teens I know like to wear jeans, dark tees, or navy/black sweatshirts. They probably do so in that colors can draw attention, and many teens are not that outgoing yet. So, the dark clothes aspect is not uncommon. My real concern is a father answering an SOS call from his next door neighbor sister worried about an intruder. If he went to collect his gun and ammo, why did he not alert his own family to neighborhood danger? How did he know that there was only one intruder? If it were me, I probably would have tried to help my next door neighbor/family member, but not at the cost of my own family. I would have woken up my own family members for their own protection, and for them to contact police if I had no time. Additionally, I would have counted on them to contact me immediately if another intruder was trying to break into my home as well. I would not have left my family asleep, for the above stated reasons, and because I would have feared other possible scenarios. What if a family member of mine heard me exit the door at 1am, and came outside to investigate? Would they not be RIGHT IN THE LINE OF FIRE??? What if they had awoken after hearing gunshots (if I left the house with the gun I was probably prepared to use it) and came outside to investigate, again placing them in danger. Very importantly, if not MOST importantly, waking up his family could have avoided this tragedy when he noticed his son was not in his bed at 1am. This man may have thought twice, or asked the unknown suspect to identify themselves prior to shooting off that many rounds, with his "unaccounted for" son being on his mind. This story is too far fetched, but defies logic as a parent myself. The police need to question this man and include the concerns I mentioned, if they haven't already done so. A mask, and a shiny object (knife, etc) is very easy to plant on a subject. There are no eyewitnesses other than what this father states. There are many possibilities here to explain what may have really happened. Many "well-liked" members of a community turn out to be deviants. The criminals often seem to end up being that nice, church going, hard working, loved by all, dude from a great family. It was reported that a neighbor a few doors away heard the gunshots, and thought they were fireworks. Did this man consider that his family may have been in danger when he left the house with the gun? Did he not fear they, too may have awoken to the gunshots and come outside? What "good dad" protecting his next door neighbor overlooks protecting his own family? This question is terribly upsetting, and I really wish people would think more critically before parroting very vague news reports. Is it possible that the adopted son caught the father doing casting him in an other than "stellar light," and threaten to tell? Was the father so worried about how he was viewed in the community that he was willing to set up his own (adopted) son for murder to quiet him? We will never hear Tyler's side, will we? Yes, I am going into different avenues of thought here, but this is what critical thinking is all about. We must exercise this technique when the facts at hand simply do not add up, I truly hope the investigating team feel the same way. Here is hoping that the truth comes out. I am very skeptical towards this vigilante dad, as most of his actions are not ones that I as a protective parent would have chosen had I been faced with the same situation. Think about how you would act had your phone rang...assuming that this is also how the night unfolded.

[aubfmet]

Teenagers don't think. I would have shot too.

[julianpenrod]

And, still, the mark of the gullible, or malignant, is on the majority of comments.
So many judging everything based on the description of Tyler Giuliano "wearing a ski mask, carrying a knife and trying to break into his aunt's house".
Where is your proof? How do you know he was wearing a ski mask when his "father' murdered him? How do you know Jeffrey Giuliano sisn't dress him up like that after the fact to claim he was "breaking into his aunt's house"? If you don't know, how do you justify going off on tangents, making grand pronouncements and condemnations? What is known is that the "father", supposedly, and only supposedly, hearing from his sister that Tyler was trying to break into her house did not call the police! Did not tell her to vcall the police! For, that matter, she didn't even think to call the police first! And Jeffrey Giuliano didn't warn her to leave!
Too, Jeffrey Giuliano simply grabbed a gun and ran to "confront" the "perpetrator". How did Giuliano know there was only one and not a whole gang? Why didn't he shine a flashlight and scare the person away? In fact, he did know there would be only one accused, because, after he murdered Tyler in an act of cold blooded cravenness for some other reason entirely, Giuliano decided to portray Tyler as a thief. But that was a subconscious facet of the lie he was concocting. In reality, he wouldn't necessarily know if there was a gang. Any legitimate police force would ask that question immediately.
The fat of the matter if Tyler caught Jeffrey Giuliano in some criminal act, raping a child, engaging in a drug deal,and Giuliano killed him. To cover it up, Giulinao dressed Tyler up, told his equally craven sister to go with his lie, then called the police. He may not even have dressed him up, just told the crooks in blue what lie to stick with.
Don't forget, Connecticut has a history of the well heeled residents always being protected by the cops. From Michael Skakel to Madonna Badger arranging to murder her family in a Christmas Day fire last year, after which the police dutifully bulldozed the house without conducting a forensic examintion! the connecticut cops are as much crooks as the residents who got where they are by screwing others.
A point. DETROITMARK "contradicted" my earlier addressing ofnthis matter saying, "You're an idiot with a thesaurus". NOt once addressing the individual points to show if they do or don't hold up. Likewise SCIMAJOR who only said I don't have "proof", ignoring that things like claiming to rush in without checking to see if it's a gang breaking into the house can be seen as very cogent proof! In both cases, though, they did not address the points I made. Servants of lies know they have nothing they can provide to legitimately promote their agenda. So, when they are met by valid criticism, they rely only on quisling New World Order non argument methods, dismissiveness, contempt, arrogance, viciousness, mockery, vulgarity.

[judymar14]

What was the boy doing wearing a ski-mask and carrying a knife? As for yelling "the cops are on the way", does anyone think that would stop someone coming at you with a knife? He was in the aunt's yard, why? Did the boy snap? No one puts a ski-mask on, get a knife and doesn't plan to do harm to someone. Hopefully, these questions can be answered, but it is doubtful.

[tigrissupinus]

It is sad that he was shot.

He should not have been trying to break into his Aunts house at night with a knife while wearing ski mask though.

Masked people with knives get shot.

[incubus421]

I would imagine you kill every kid you see on halloween night.....

[GoGoUsa]

Just to make it clear I have no idea the Dad is innocent. Who's to say. Maybe he is one of those big brave gun tooters who is so afraid that shooting first and asking questions later was his entire plan. Maybe the ski mask and knife were added to the picture before the cops arrived. That's something that would save his skin, wouldn't it?

[TooTrueForYou]

The irony is he wanted to protect his family... epic fail. Maybe the next would-be armchair john wayne will think twice about heading off into the dark with his handgun. This isn't 1800's wild wild west, we have cops and 911, so this doesn't have to happen.

[Well_You_Aint_Me]

Yep, you're right. And when seconds count the police are only minutes away.

[johntate777]

All he had to do was announce that the police had been called and any normal burgler would've taken off. Instead, he judged, convicted, sentenced and carried out the execution. It's not like the "burgler" was inside the house. There was no deadly threat at that point. Just as the Zimmerman case has shown, some people are just too trigger happy.

[lifeduringwartime]

Somebody messing around in the dark wearing a ski mask at my house is looking to meet Jesus.

[foo8259]

Sad story. I have noticed because my Acer screen is 2x wider than it is high the new CBS mixed media layout is causing me some eye strain and headache. Kind of like taking an "HGN" or nystagmus eye test, if you agree to one, in a suspected DWI stop -- but it's non-stop back 'n forth till your eyes hurt.

[sayl2012]

Not too happy with the layout either....

[Scimajor]

The N.R.A. wants guns in everyone's hands and gee, what a surprise, innocent people get killed because any idiot can get a gun. Thanks N.R.A..

[Scimajor]

Just to make it clear, I have no idea whether the teen was "innocent" (i.e. not planning a crime or not) but surely the penalty for wearing all concealing clothing and carrying a shiny object shouldn't be "Death by gun happy moron with gun".

[rwsmith29456]

I think they should pass laws to prevent teenagers from doing really stupid things.