Kurt Myers and the 2013 Herkimer County Shootings
Overview
Kurt Myers was a 64-year-old resident of Mohawk, New York, who carried out a deadly shooting spree in neighboring Herkimer County communities on March 13, 2013. During a rapid sequence of attacks at a barbershop and an automotive service business, Myers killed four men and seriously wounded two others. He then fled into an abandoned building, where he remained surrounded by law enforcement officers throughout the night.
The violence began shortly after Myers deliberately set fire to the apartment where he had been living. Investigators later described the shootings as largely unprovoked, and the people targeted at the two businesses appeared to have been selected because they happened to be present. Myers died the following morning during an armed confrontation with police, ending a manhunt that had placed schools, businesses and residents across the area on lockdown.
Apartment Fire in Mohawk
On the morning of March 13, 2013, Myers started a fire inside his apartment on South Washington Street in Mohawk. The fire was reported shortly before 9:30 a.m. Investigators determined that it had been intentionally set, apparently as Myers prepared to leave the property and begin his attacks.
Myers departed in a red Jeep while armed with a Mossberg 590 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Firefighters and emergency personnel initially responded to what appeared to be a residential fire, but the situation quickly expanded into a countywide emergency as reports of shootings began arriving from nearby businesses.
Shooting at John’s Barber Shop
Myers first traveled to John’s Barber Shop in Mohawk, located only a short distance from his apartment. He had previously visited the shop but reportedly had not been there for several years. When Myers entered, he briefly spoke to owner John Seymour, asking whether Seymour remembered him. Seymour acknowledged that he did, and Myers suddenly opened fire with the shotgun.
Two customers, Harry Montgomery and Michael Ransear, were killed. Seymour and another customer, Dan Haslauer, were seriously wounded. Seymour suffered gunshot wounds to his left hand and right hip. Both wounded men were transported to a hospital in Utica and were initially reported to be in critical condition.
Survivors and relatives said there had been no argument or confrontation immediately before the shooting. Seymour could identify no dispute that would explain the attack. Myers’ calm greeting followed by sudden gunfire contributed to the confusion surrounding his motive.
Shooting at Gaffey’s Fast Lube
After leaving the barbershop, Myers drove across the Mohawk River into the nearby village of Herkimer. He stopped at Gaffey’s Fast Lube, an oil-change and car-wash business. Still carrying the shotgun, he entered the property and killed two more men.
Thomas Stefka, an employee of the business, and Michael Renshaw, a customer, were fatally shot. Renshaw had served for approximately 23 years with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. As at the barbershop, investigators found no clear evidence that either man had been involved in a dispute with Myers before the shooting.
The two attacks left four people dead and two seriously injured within a brief period. Police circulated a description of Myers, his vehicle and the shotgun while officers from numerous local, county, state and federal agencies moved into the area.
Victims
- Harry Montgomery, 68 — Killed on March 13, 2013, inside John’s Barber Shop in Mohawk, New York. Montgomery was a customer at the shop when Myers entered and opened fire.
- Michael Ransear, 57 — Killed on March 13, 2013, inside John’s Barber Shop in Mohawk, New York. He was the second customer fatally shot during the first attack.
- Thomas Stefka — Killed on March 13, 2013, at Gaffey’s Fast Lube in Herkimer, New York. Stefka was working at the automotive service business when Myers arrived and opened fire.
- Michael Renshaw — Killed on March 13, 2013, at Gaffey’s Fast Lube in Herkimer, New York. Renshaw was a customer and a veteran employee of the New York State correctional system.
People Wounded
- John Seymour — The owner of John’s Barber Shop was shot in the left hand and right hip on March 13, 2013. He survived after being transported to a Utica hospital.
- Dan Haslauer — A customer inside John’s Barber Shop who was seriously wounded during the attack. He was also hospitalized in critical condition and survived.
Manhunt and Community Lockdown
After the shootings, Myers abandoned his red Jeep and entered an unused commercial building in Herkimer. The structure had formerly housed Glory Days Food and Spirits and was located near the center of the village. Police established a large perimeter after determining that Myers was hiding inside.
Residents were instructed to remain indoors, while Herkimer County Community College and numerous local schools were placed under lockdown. Businesses closed, roads were blocked and heavily armed officers searched surrounding streets and buildings. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies assisted New York State Police and local departments.
Officers attempted to locate Myers inside the deteriorated building without exposing themselves or nearby residents to additional gunfire. Shots were heard during the standoff, but police waited until the following morning to make a direct entry.
Final Confrontation
At approximately 8:00 a.m. on March 14, 2013, a tactical team entered the abandoned building. Police located Myers in the basement. During the confrontation, Myers fired his shotgun and killed Ape, a police dog working with the FBI’s tactical team.
Officers returned fire and struck Myers multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later determined that he died from internal bleeding caused by gunshot wounds that damaged several major organs and blood vessels, including his heart, aorta, lungs, liver and right kidney.
Ape was a two-year-old Czech German shepherd assigned to an FBI tactical unit. The dog’s death was widely mourned by law enforcement personnel and members of the community. Police credited the tactical team and the dog with helping officers locate Myers during the dangerous basement search.
Background of Kurt Myers
Myers lived alone and was described by neighbors and acquaintances as isolated, quiet and difficult to know. He reportedly followed a regular routine, leaving his apartment in his Jeep and returning without speaking to many people. Employees at a local bar remembered him as a solitary customer who drank one or two beers and rarely engaged in conversation.
He had little documented criminal history. His only widely reported prior arrest was a drunken-driving case from 1973. There was no known history of violent felony convictions that would have suggested he was preparing to carry out a mass shooting.
Investigators found that Myers was unemployed, had no meaningful savings and had exhausted his available credit. His apartment contained few possessions, and the deliberately set fire destroyed much of the remaining property. Authorities also discovered evidence of a lengthy relationship with a married woman that had ended before the shootings.
Motive
In the immediate aftermath, officials said they could find no apparent motive connecting Myers to the four men he killed or the two men he wounded. No manifesto or detailed explanation was publicly identified. The victims were at two ordinary local businesses and did not appear to have been part of a single personal dispute.
Later investigative findings suggested that severe financial problems and growing personal isolation may have contributed to Myers’ actions. The end of his long-term personal relationship was also examined. However, investigators could not establish a single event that fully explained why he chose the two businesses or why he attacked the people inside them.
Aftermath
The shootings deeply affected Mohawk and Herkimer, two closely connected communities separated by the Mohawk River. Residents who had considered the villages quiet and safe suddenly experienced an apartment fire, two mass shooting scenes, a large police manhunt and an overnight armed standoff.
Memorial services were held for the four men who were killed, while the wounded survivors faced lengthy physical and emotional recoveries. The attacks also generated discussion about emergency preparedness, firearm laws and the difficulty of identifying isolated individuals who have no significant history of violence before carrying out an attack.
The abandoned building where Myers made his final stand remained a disturbing reminder of the shootings. After continuing to deteriorate and experiencing structural problems, the former Glory Days building was demolished in 2015.
Summary
On March 13, 2013, Kurt Myers set fire to his Mohawk apartment and began a shotgun attack that moved through two communities. At John’s Barber Shop, he killed Harry Montgomery and Michael Ransear while seriously wounding John Seymour and Dan Haslauer. He then drove to Gaffey’s Fast Lube in Herkimer, where he killed Thomas Stefka and Michael Renshaw.
Myers fled into an abandoned building and remained there during an overnight standoff. On March 14, an advancing tactical team located him in the basement. Myers killed FBI police dog Ape before officers returned fire and fatally wounded him. His death ended the immediate danger but left four families grieving, two survivors recovering and an entire county searching for an explanation that was never completely established.
