In the quiet town of Corinth, New York, a devastating incident unfolded on the evening of November 15, 2018, forever altering the lives of a local family. Ashley Rosenbrock, a 34-year-old female, was fatally shot in her home. The initial report from New York State Police indicated that her husband, 35-year-old Eric Rosenbrock, was performing maintenance on his legally owned handgun when it discharged, striking his wife. Ashley was transported to Saratoga Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The event was initially described as a tragic accident. Eric Rosenbrock, a science teacher in the Lake George school district, and Ashley were parents to three young children. The family had previously endured the heartbreak of losing their 18-month-old daughter to an infection five years prior. Neighbors and friends described them as a happy and good family, making the sudden loss of Ashley all the more shocking to the community. In the aftermath of the shooting, Eric cooperated with the police investigation.
Despite the initial assessment of an accident, the investigation continued, and in February 2019, Eric Rosenbrock was charged with second-degree manslaughter. The felony complaint alleged that he was aware of and consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk by performing maintenance on a loaded handgun in close proximity to his wife without pointing it in a safe direction. Rosenbrock pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was released without bail.
In September 2019, Eric Rosenbrock accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. The plea agreement spared him from prison time. In November 2019, nearly a year to the day after his wife's death, he was sentenced to five years of probation. Throughout the legal proceedings, Ashley's mother expressed her continued support for her son-in-law, emphasizing the profound grief shared by the entire family. Following his conviction, there was public discussion regarding his continued employment as a teacher, though reports indicated he was back in the classroom.
