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A dad who was visiting his son at a special Family Weekend at Marist College was shot dead when he was caught in the crossfire as bullets flew in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott hotel where he was staying.
Paul Kutz, 53, was caught in the mayhem of the shootout at the hotel in Poughkeepsie.
The violence suddenly began after a suspect got into an argument with workers at the hotel as he was in the lobby getting coffee on Sunday morning at 7:30am.
Two homeless men with gang ties were arrested following the shooting with police reporting finding bomb-making equipment and together with a ‘ghost gun’ rifle in one of the rooms at the hotel.
Paul Kutz, 53, was visiting his son at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York for Family Weekend was fatally shot in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott hotel on Sunday morning
ATF responded to the hotel on Sunday after materials ‘used to make explosives’ were found on site after the deadly shooting
As of Monday afternoon, the hotel was still closed and guests who had been staying at the Courtyard hotel had still not been allowed to return
Devin Taylor, 26, has been named as a suspect in the case and was a suspect in a previous murder case and robber. A second suspect was identified as Roy Johnson Jr., NBC reported.
One of the shooters was found to be in possession of a 30-round, high-capacity magazine.
Johnson, 35, is believed to be the Courtyard Marriott shooter, and was charged with murder; both men face criminal weapons charges. Johnson has been accused of shooting Kutz in the chest.
Kutz was rushed to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said both Johnson and Taylor had been staying at the hotel however it was not clear how long they had been there.
Following the shooting, a search of the hotel was conducted whereupon investigators found materials that could be used as explosives together with instructions on how to make a bomb including Tannerite, which is used in long-range target practice and explodes upon impact, Police Chief Joseph Cavaliere said.
Senior law enforcement officials revealed the suspected shooter has a Glock switch on his handgun that converted it into a fully automatic weapon.
The gun was found on top of the suspect’s car while a second weapon was located in one of the hotel rooms.
‘Two individuals that are in custody are known to law enforcement, having no association with 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 to CBS.
Poughkeepsie Police Chief Joseph Cavaliere would not say what led to the shooting in the hotel. He said Johnson and Taylor did not know Kutz
It is not known what the suspects may have been planning to do with the material. The hotel was evacuated while the building was searched.
As of Monday afternoon, the hotel was still closed and guests who had been staying at the Courtyard hotel had still not been allowed to return.
The shooting occurred just came as the college celebrated its Family Weekend.
The weekend sees students inviting their families to the school for sports and entertainment alongside a host of other activities.
‘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 to CBS.
It is not known what the group may have been planning to do with the weapons and bomb-making material that was found. The hotel was evacuated while the building was searched
There was a significant police presence outside the hotel on Sunday and Monday
‘My mom came visiting. It was just scary because it could have been anyone,’ freshman Jack Oakley added. ‘It could have been a bad incident with the bomb thing.’
The college later released a statement:
‘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,’ a Marist spokesman said in a statement.
‘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.’
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro told WCBS, ‘Two individuals that are in custody are known to law enforcement, having no association with the parent of student that we are aware of, and we do not believe that it is affiliated or associated with activities at Marist.’
