Dad slain while visiting son for college’s ‘family weekend’
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (NewsNation) — A New York man who was shot and killed in the lobby of a Poughkeepsie hotel was visiting his son during Marist College’s “family weekend,” according to authorities.
Paul Kutz, 53, of East Northport, on Long Island, was shot in the chest and torso Sunday morning. Authorities said two men who were staying at the hotel got into an argument that resulted in a shooting, according to NewsNation affiliate WPIX.
Kutz was a husband and father of three. He was a financial planner and accountant who started Kutz and Company with his brother decades ago, ABC7 New York reports.
Roy Johnson Jr., 35, and Devin Taylor, 26, who were staying at the Courtyard by Marriott, were arrested at the scene.
The New York Times reports Johnson was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon and is being held without bail. Taylor was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Both men have criminal histories, according to police. NBC4 New York reports the pair were smoking a “PCP-like substance” prior to the shooting.
Officers said they found bomb-making components in the room booked by Johnson and Taylor, according to The Times.
Some reports have identified the men are homeless. Local homeless services agencies told WPIX that they were not using the hotel where the shooting occurred as a facility to house people experiencing homelessness.
The college issued a statement on Monday to WPIX about the shooting, which read in part, “Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are offering the full support of the Marist community.”