In the winter of 2014, the community of Olivebridge, a small town near Kingston, New York, was shaken by the sudden and tragic death of one of its own. Aron J. Thomas, a 33-year-old male, was fatally shot on Monday, February 3, 2014. The incident that claimed his life unfolded at his workplace, the Kingston office of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, where he served as a watershed maintainer.
Thomas, a husband and father to two young children, a two-year-old son
and a six-week-old daughter, was a respected and active member of his community. He was a graduate of Onteora High School and had earned degrees in Fisheries & Wildlife and Animal Science. His love for the outdoors was evident in his passion for hiking and hunting, which he turned into a fledgling outdoor guide business. Beyond his professional and personal pursuits, he was dedicated to public service, volunteering with the local fire department and first aid squad.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting led to the swift arrest of a suspect. David Reese, a 53-year-old coworker of Thomas from Gilboa, was taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting. Law enforcement officials charged Reese with second-degree murder, alleging he was responsible for the death of his colleague. The motive behind the workplace shooting was not immediately made public, leaving a community to grapple with the senseless loss of a devoted family man and community member.
