Gail A. Shields, a 66-year-old female, passed away at her Elkhart, Indiana, home on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Her death was the result of a violent encounter that also claimed the life of her neighbor, Jon Malk. The two were shot and killed by another neighbor, 76-year-old Larry Faso, in what police determined to be a double murder-suicide. The tragic events unfolded at the Stratford Commons apartment complex where all three resided.
The motive for the killings stemmed from an ongoing
dispute over the use of a barbecue grill. Faso had lodged multiple complaints with the apartment's management company, APT Management, regarding the smoke from Shields' grill. In the days leading up to the incident, Faso’s frustration escalated, culminating in a final, ominous warning. On that Wednesday, Faso acted on his threats, fatally shooting both Shields and Malk before turning the gun on himself.
Following the deaths, the family of Gail Shields filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the apartment complex and its management company. The lawsuit alleged that the management was aware of Faso's increasingly threatening behavior and failed to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of the residents. The family contended that with proper intervention, the murders could have been prevented. However, in December 2024, an Elkhart County judge granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants, ruling that the apartment complex had no legal duty to protect Shields from what was deemed a sudden and unforeseeable homicidal attack. The court concluded that Faso's actions were not predictable based on the information available to the management at the time.
