Police are questioning a man in connection to the shooting that left four dead in a Long Island pharmacy out of their Medford home.
The New York Times reports that the man taken into custody is 33-year-old David Laffer. Also apprehended by police was a woman in Laffer's house.
The shooter burst into the pharmacy Sunday looking for painkillers, it was reported, but proceeded to open fire on those in the store, killing four. Victims included Jennifer Mejia, a high school senior days away from graduation, and Jamie Taccetta, a 33 year old woman who was planning her wedding. When her fiance, James, saw the shooter leave the store, he knew something was wrong. So he turned off his car and went in to check. That's when he found the grisly scene.
"It was horrible, man. It was something I'll never forget," Manzella told the Post. "I'll never forget what I saw. It's stuck in me."
Police say that the man shot each of the four at close range, execution style. On Monday, police released surveillance footage of the shooter exiting the shop and warned nearby drugstores of anyone expressing an urgent need for painkillers. The Times reports that over 11,000 hydrocodone pills were missing following the shooting.
Wednesday's lead may bring solace to a community shattered by the tragedy. The father of one of the victims, Ralph Taccetta, issued a stern warning to the shooter: "If he's listening or if he's looking: You're a punk. You killed four people, you're a punk. We're going to get you, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, we're going to get you and we're going to do what needs to be done," he said.