Wife Killed In Front Of Daughter At YMCA

(AP)  A man shot and killed a woman in front of their 11-year-old daughter inside a YMCA recreation center while a swimming class for preschoolers was going on nearby, officials said.

Authorities said Monica Paul, 31, argued with the suspect, Kenneth A. Duckett, 37, before he allegedly opened fire about 6:30 p.m.

Duckett, the father of her two children, then ran from the building and drove off in a white Jeep with another man, who has not been identified, authorities said. The vehicle was later found; both men remained at large late Thursday.

Witnesses said YMCA staffers and parents helped get the children out of the building. None of the children was hurt, authorities said.

Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow said Paul was shot multiple times at close range as she sat with her daughter in a waiting area outside the pool where her 4-year-old son was swimming. Witnesses told investigators they heard at least three or four shots.

Authorities said the slain woman was granted a restraining order against Duckett late last year.

[hamiltongrad]

Patriot: you are right. The Consitution is not 500 years old, TYPO !. Thanks for agreeing with me. I do not think , however, that the justice system is 100 %, as it falls within the confines of humans trying to pigeon hole what they see within the construct of rigid rules, regulations and societal male dominated expectations. All too often, even when proven wrong, such as by DNA, it is very slow to act or does not act to make things right. Thus, I believe that there should be an alternative means of evaluation by College Professors who have special knowledge of societies, philosphoival constructs, and child development, not for BLAME and NOT FOR PunishMENT, no, not in 2008 but for making things right, moving on and education for all to accept what is, not what we wish to be. Blame is not the answer, neither is the rigid "laws" made by ego centric men to dominate women and people of color.

[patriot12436]

Hamilton grad
Your statement has merit but our constitution is only a little over 200 years old. I don''t think it is a question of getting it back to gether when an individual has gone over the line and committed a cold blooded murder. Just from the facts given in the paper it shows premeditation. I also agree we need all the facts to determine exactly what happened. That is why i like to rely on our legal system, to carry out justice, not have a miscarriage of justice.

[hamiltongrad]

Once again we have a domestic case where violence has erupted, possibly due to marital stress or other factors, and we have a case where people are very quick to judge, not based upon facts but emotions.
We do not know this man, his stresses, or what pushed him to act this way. We do not know what was denied to him in life. Was he yelled at by his teachers, did he suffer mental or physical bait and switch during a relationship gone wrong.
In society, when "bad things" occur, it is NEVER just one person at fault. It is all of us who must ask for understanding, as all of us make up our society, not just one person.
AS a professor of Society and the World, I have studied this, and my goal is to make it clear to the average JANE and JOE -- not to BLAME others. And , clearly, PUNISHMENT has no role in getting it back together. Moving on, understanding, and fixing society will be the key root issues, not more violence. I am fully aware that these ideals and ideas make people uncomfortable, but so did the Constitution of USA, now over 500 years old !

[bhappy2-2]

Thank God the perverted "conservatives" on the Supreme Court have perverted the meaning of the Second Amendment, re-writing it to suit their own purposes, and protecting the right of a man like this to gun down his wife in front of his daughter. God bless the GOP for appointing these "strict constructionists" to the court!

Posted by Voltaire333

Hey Jer-Koff, the SC did not pervert ANYTHING. They did, however, INTERPRET the Second Amendment. Nor did they re-write anything. They merely affirmed that the Second Amendment IS an individual right, not a collective right. And, the right to keep and bear arms DOES NOT give ANYONE the right to MURDER someone else.
That would be a decision made BY THE INDIVIDUAL to carry out an act which is a VIOLATION OF THE LAW. That would fall under that whole, pesky FREE WILL thing you hear so much about.
This is what we have been telling you gun banning freakazoids for a long time; Criminals, by definition, DO NOT OBEY THE LAW. That''s why they are CRIMINALS!

[mydiatribe]

Any dolt who would so easily blame ''the gun'' for violence is too immature to accept responsibility.
He/she is likely to blame ''the spatula'' for breaking the yoke while turning a fried egg.

[voltaire333]

Thank God the perverted "conservatives" on the Supreme Court have perverted the meaning of the Second Amendment, re-writing it to suit their own purposes, and protecting the right of a man like this to gun down his wife in front of his daughter. God bless the GOP for appointing these "strict constructionists" to the court!

[patriot12436]

tootal10142
Good for you. It is a terible thing to take a life but you removed a scum element from our society. I think it was righteous.

[tootall10142]

Restraing order my eye.these are just well dressed warnings from a judge .the best defense is a good offense . i carry a weapon with me EVERYWHERE i go and will not be a victim.i was attaked by a meth head iut of mistaken identity he hit me face with a pipe , crushed the left side of my face.HE picked the wrong man , I dropped him like a deer right where he stood .Unfortunatley he died too fast in my opinion but a 44cal. at six feet will do the trick.

[patriot12436]

dragonwagon5
Are you and ubrew12 the same person ? You make the same sick comments. It doesn''t have shock value, it is only disgusting that you would belittle someones death in such a manner.

[patriot12436]

mydiatribe
A very rational statement. I totally agree.