Marist College father killed in hotel shooting during family weekend visit
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- There was a tragedy over the weekend at a college in our area.
A father visiting Marist for family weekend was fatally shot Sunday morning at a hotel near campus.
As CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported, other parents in the hotel were placed on lockdown after the feds made a shocking discovery.
Investigators from multiple agencies collected evidence near the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott on South Road in Poughkeepsie.
Families were staying there for the annual Family Weekend at Marist, but it ended horribly when at around 7:30 a.m. police say shots were fired within and outside the hotel. Emergency responders removed the father of one student from inside. He was brought to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Marist parent John Bucsek and his wife were told to stay in their rooms for hours.
"Somewhere around nine o'clock the phone rang. It was a manager, an acting manager in the hotel, just kind of saying that there was a shooter, he was apprehended," Bucsek said.
"Two individuals that are in custody are known to law enforcement, having no association with the the parent of student that we are aware of, and we do not believe that it is affiliated or associated with activities at Marist," Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said.
Authorities say the two people taken into custody have gang ties and that they did not know the victim.
Poughkeepsie police searched the hotel and the suspects' room was found to contain manuals related to the making of explosive devices, as well as materials with the potential to be used as explosives. The Bomb Squad was called in.
"When they took us out, they took us out to a parking lot adjacent to the hotel there, and it was about 75 of us standing out there, and it was kind of like ... it felt like standing in line for a funeral. Everybody was kind of, you know, numb," Bucsek said.
Rozner spoke with students whose families were at other nearby hotels.
"I was very scared because my family came all the way from St. Louis and I feel terrible for the family. It's awful," freshman Henry Merli said.
"My mom came visiting. It was just scary because it could have been anyone," freshman Jack Oakley said. "It could have been a bad incident with the bomb thing."
Poughkeepsie police say there is no reason to believe there is a threat to Marist or any other school in town.
Marist College released a statement that said, in part, "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 hotel is several miles away from campus and locals say it is constantly filled with guests who are visiting the college.
"I literally worked two mins away from that. I was shocked because that hotel hasn't really had any problems or anything like that," Poughkeepsie resident Patrick Seianna said.
"I'm just like, okay, once again there's something else that's not good happening," resident Shelton Drumgold said.
"It's very safe, so campus is great, but it's kind of an unsettling feeling, you know?" Merli added.
Police have not released the name of the victim or the suspects. The investigation is ongoing and the chief told Rozner more information is expected to be released Monday.
