Tragic playground shooting on Upper East Side leaves mother dead, grandmother dies of suicide

A custody battle over a 4 year old lad turned fatal on the Upper East Side when a grandmother shot the boy's mother before turning the gun on herself.

On Friday, around 9am, gunfire erupted between York Avenue and East End Avenue on East 88th Street, causing locals and pedestrians to flee in panic. Marissa Galloway, 45, had just put her 4-year-old son in the car and was stowing his pushchair in the boot when the boy's grandmother, Kathleen Leigh, 65, approached.

Joseph Kenny, the NYPD's chief of detectives, told ABC7 that the grandmother, who hailed from Chicago , pulled out a 9mm Glock and shot Galloway in the head, then shot her again in the back as she lay in the street at the rear of the vehicle.

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She then reportedly turned the weapon on herself and shot herself in the head. Leigh was declared dead at the scene, but Galloway was rushed to hospital, barely alive, reports the Mirror US .

She later succumbed to her injuries at the facility. The unidentified 4-year-old lad was reportedly unharmed. People who were out enjoying the sunny weather in the neighborhood, many with baby pushchairs, ran for cover as the shots rang out.

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The shooting occurred near the entrance to Gracie Mansion. Kenny later confirmed that the tragic shooting stemmed from a custody battle. According to records from the NYPD obtained by ABC7, there have been at least five domestic dispute reports involving the family and two separate complaints filed.

It's understood that Galloway had been embroiled in a custody fight over her son with the boy's father, and Leigh was said to be the paternal grandmother.

Leigh had made New York City her home for around three years, living with relatives, as Kenny informed ABC7. Meanwhile, Galloway was known as a seasoned athlete and had served as a track coach at Fordham University for some time.

Fordham University has expressed its sorrow over the 45-year-old's untimely passing, noting that the community is "deeply saddened by the tragic death." Galloway was not only an alumna of the institution but also taught in Westchester County.

Leigh is remembered as a retired Cook County probation officer. Additionally, it has been reported that Galloway leaves behind a one-year-old daughter, who is not related to Leigh and was not present during the incident.

Police discovered another firearm inside a tote bag on the pavement near where Leigh and the weapon she used to commit the murder-suicide were found. The case continues to be investigated, with the current classification being a murder-suicide.

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