Deadly shooting forces evacuation of Poughkeepsie hotel near Marist College family weekend

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Monday, October 3, 2022
Deadly shooting forces evacuation of Poughkeepsie hotel near Marist College family weekend
A deadly shooting forced the evacuation of a hotel in Poughkeepsie. Lucy Yang has the details.

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York (WABC) -- A man was shot and killed at a hotel near Marist College as parents and students came together for family weekend.

Police received a call of a shooter armed with a long gun at the Courtyard Marriott in Poughkeepsie just before 8 a.m. Sunday.

John Bucsek was in Poughkeepsie to visit his daughter and was staying at the Courtyard Marriott. By the time he was ready to head to his car early Sunday morning, his hotel was already an active crime scene.

"Shortly after 8:00, I go out a side door to get to my car to get water and surrounding the building were police who instructed me immediately to go back to my room and lock the door," said Bucsek.

Poughkeepsie Police report a male victim was killed and Marist College confirms he was a family member of a student.

"When I saw the policemen, my heart sunk," Buscek added.

Two men were arrested.

During a search of the hotel, authorities say they found in one of the rooms a manual for building bombs as well as materials to make the explosive.

The visiting father says his daughter's friend heard the shots.

"They were texting and all of a sudden shots went off," he said, "she said she heard four shots."

Marist College released a statement saying,

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are offering the full support of the Marist community."

Authorities are assuring the community there is no threat to the college.

There is no word yet on a motive for the shooting. Multiple agencies in Dutchess County are investigating.

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