In a tragic turn of events that shook a quiet neighborhood, Christopher Galliano, a 25-year-old male, was killed in a shooting spree in Dover Township, New Jersey. The incident also claimed the lives of his parents, Dominick Galliano, 51, and Gail Galliano, 49.
The perpetrator was identified as Edward L. Lutes Jr., a 42-year-old veteran police officer from the nearby Seaside Heights department. Armed with his police-issue automatic pistol, Lutes entered the Galliano home and fatally shot Christopher and his parents. Following the initial attack, Lutes crossed the street and murdered two more neighbors, Gary Williams, 48, and his wife, Tina Williams, 46. Their 23-year-old son managed to escape through a back window and alert the authorities.
The motive for the horrific act appears to stem from a past legal issue involving the Galliano family. A law enforcement source revealed that Dominick Galliano had been previously acquitted of sexually assaulting Lutes's daughter.
According to court records, the alleged incident occurred in March 1999 while the Gallianos were babysitting the girl. Gary Williams had testified on behalf of Dominick Galliano during the trial.
After the shootings, Lutes fled the scene. He later drove to Barnegat, about 15 miles south, where he shot and wounded Seaside Heights Police Chief James Costello. The tragic chain of events concluded when Lutes took his own life. He was found in his car in the driveway of a stranger's home, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
