In a horrific and deeply saddening event that unfolded on Friday, a retired probation officer, aged 65, from Chicago caused a devastating loss to those up close with her and the community at large. She tragically turned her firearm against Marisa Galloway, the mother of her grandchild, before using that same instrument to end her own life. This tragic incident happened in broad daylight on E. 88th St, a stone’s throw away from Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side of New York City, according to officials from NYPD.
The assailant, identified as Kathleen Leigh, had apparently taken this drastic step in the midst of an ongoing custody dispute, said Joseph Kenny, the NYPD Chief of Detectives. The unfortunate child at the center of this dire circumstance was a 4-year-old. On the other hand, Galloway’s younger daughter, aged one, was coincidentally spared the turmoil. She was found unscathed, securely fastened into her car seat within a Honda vehicle not far from the crime scene.
This gruesome act occurred only two and a half blocks away from Galloway’s apartment. Upon getting wind of the news about Galloway’s untimely demise, residents were sent into shock. One woman, overcome with grief and disbelief, sank down onto a tree pit guard, her tears hidden behind her firmly clutched hands and her voice perceivable through her distressful cries of ‘Marisa was shot!’ to a security officer inside her building.
People in the neighborhood knew Galloway as a diligent single mother who loved her two daughters dearly. She did, however, face a considerable amount of distress from her ex-spouse according to those who lived close by. One of the neighbors, Meryl Fedelman, recounted how she would constantly be pestered by her former husband. She also shared an incident where she was questioned by workers from the Administration for Children’s Services regarding any potential issues they should be aware of. Fedelman confidently stated that Galloway was a wonderful woman and an affectionate mother.
Between 2021 and 2022, police had been alerted to disputes at the Galloway residence on four occasions. These incidents were reportedly the result of disagreements between Galloway, Leigh, and the father of the 4-year-old. These disagreements were related to visitation and custody-related matters, as explained by Kenny. Furthermore, there were two reports of bruising on the child, made in April and August of 2022 by the child’s father. However, these allegations were dismissed as unsupported by the ACS, with no need for any arrests, he elaborated.
Details surfaced about a custody lawsuit filed against Galloway by a certain Zachariah Reed on August 20, 2021, as per a state court database. The case’s last recorded event was a settlement conference that took place in December 2023. Galloway’s attorney, Matthew Ehrlich, was struck with disbelief upon hearing the news of her murder, stating how closely he had worked with Marisa over the past three years. Ehrlich could not fathom the tragedy and extended his deepest sympathies to Marisa’s family.
According to sources close to the law enforcement, the custody arrangements involved the father having the custody of the older child from Friday to Monday, while Galloway took over for the rest of the week. The day of the incident happened to fall on a transition day, when the child was due to go to her father. Law enforcement officers reported the firing of at least three shots against the mother.
Evidence from the incident scene, in the form of video recordings, revealed that the moments leading up to the ghastly act involved Galloway putting her baby daughter into the backseat of her car. It was at this point that she was approached by Leigh and shot fatally in the head. The video further shows Galloway falling to the ground and being shot in the back by Leigh.
After the incident, two firearms were discovered at the crime scene by police officers. While one was located on the sidewalk, the other was found inside the assailant’s, Leigh’s, tote bag. Currently, it remains unclear if Leigh had used these firearms during her tenure as a probation officer for Cook County. There were no reports of the guns being stolen.
Even though Leigh had last officially resided in Chicago, it appears she had been living in New York City for the past three years, probably with family members. Meanwhile, Galloway, a proud alumna of Fordham University, held both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the famous institution. The University shared deeply felt condolences for the tragic demise of their celebrated alumna.
Fordham University expressed in their statement, ‘We are deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of Marisa Galloway. She served volunteeringly as an assistant track and field coach at Fordham for 17 years till 2019.’ It was noted that she accomplished her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2001 and then proceeded to earn a Master of Science from the Graduate School of Education at Fordham in 2005.
Galloway was also remembered as a stellar athlete, specializing in high jumping and sprint events. She notably made quite a name for herself by securing a third-place finish in the high jump event at the Metropolitan Championships during her senior year at university.
This ghastly murder-suicide occurred a block away from Gracie Mansion, home of Mayor Adams. Due to the Mansion’s adjacent location, the incident attracted the immediate attention of NYPD officers assigned to Mayor’s security detail. The Mayor himself arrived at the site within minutes of the incident being reported.
A man named Michael Donovan, who happened to be the superintendent of a building on E. 88th St., was doing a routine clean-up outdoors when the shots rang out. Initially seeking shelter, Donovan then spotted two women lying motionless behind a parked car, one of whom had silver hair. On closer inspection, he found another gruesome sight: a small child in the car’s back seat.
Immediately reaching out to the emergency services, Donovan reported the situation promptly. Unfortunately, Leigh was declared dead at the scene while Galloway was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she too succumbed to her injuries. Donovan noted that the car’s doors and trunk were wide open, indicating the women could have been loading or unloading the car.
The incident took place disturbingly close to Gracie Mansion, a surprising occurance in such a quiet area, according to Donovan. Residents, normally used to a peaceful ambiance, were shocked and their perceived sense of local safety was shattered. Denise Sweeney, a long-time resident, expressed her disbelief over the incident considering the regular police presence around the Mansion.