In a Medina, New York home in early February of 1949, a shocking act of violence shattered a family. Seven-year-old Nancy Ann Hagerman, a young girl, was tragically killed. The person responsible for her death was her own father, 28-year-old Carl Hagerman, a Marine veteran. The horrific event, which transpired at their residence at 133 Elizabeth Street, also claimed the lives of Nancy's six-year-old brother, Andrew Michael Hagerman, and their grandmother, 61-year-old Bessie Hagerman. The only survivor of the rampage was Nancy's mother, Frances Hagerman, who sustained injuries from the gunfire.
The tragedy was carried out with a 20-gauge double-barreled shotgun. After shooting his family members, Carl Hagerman then took his own life. The scene discovered by authorities was grim. Responding patrolman, John Pratt, who would later become Medina's Chief of Police, found the bodies of Bessie and Andrew in the living room. Bessie was found partially fallen from a davenport, and young Andrew was lying on the floor. Nancy was discovered at the back of the house, appearing as though she had been trying to escape down the stairs.
Frances Hagerman, despite being wounded in her chest, shoulder, and hand, managed to flee to a neighbor's home to get help before she collapsed. She was subsequently taken to Medina Memorial Hospital, where her condition was described as 'fair.' The local District Attorney and the coroner planned to interview her to understand the details of the shooting. Initial speculation suggested that Carl Hagerman may have been under the impression that he was locked inside a room, leading him to break down the door before the shootings. An investigation into the gun locker in his son's room showed it in a state of disarray.
The community was left to mourn the devastating loss. Double funeral services were held for Nancy and her brother, Andrew, at the Cleary Funeral Home and Sacred Heart Church, with their burials taking place in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Carl Hagerman's funeral was held separately at the same funeral home, with his burial in Boxwood Cemetery. The motive behind the tragic event remains a question, with the sudden and violent actions of the young father leaving a lasting scar on the community and, most profoundly, on the sole survivor of his inexplicable rage.
