The NYPD has revealed more details about last night's horrible shooting the Greenwich Village. The police released a photograph of the gunman, David Garvin (pictured below), who apparently was a regular DeMarco's customer and was asked to leave a few times. Garvin fatally shot DeMarco's employee Alfredo Romero Morales, then shot two auxiliary police officers before being killed by other responding police officers. His roommate worked for DeMarco's, but had been fired a few months ago; a resident said that Garvin was an ex-employee, but that has not been confirmed.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly spoke at a press conference:
- There is surveillance camera video of Garvin shooting at auxiliary police officers Eugene Marshalik and Nicholas Pekearo; Marshalik's and Pekearo's families gave the NYPD permission to show the tape. You can see it here; Pekearo ducked behind a car, Garvin crosses the street and shoots him from a few feet away...then he goes back to the street to shoot Marshalik in the head at close range.
- Kelly says that since an empty clip was found on the west side of Sullivan Street, the police are hypothesizing that Garvin expended his ammunition at DeMarco's, came across Marshalik and Pekearo and then reloaded to shoot them.
- Garvin had been in the Marine Corps between 1986-1988; he was released with a less than honorable discharge. He moved to NYC in October 2006. The NYPD has seized his computer to see what it may contain.
- Garvin had at least 135 rounds of ammunition with him; the NYPD says it's possible that he was planning much more violence. Kelly said that Pekearo and Marshalik most likely stopped more bloodshed.The NY Times spoke to DeMarco's part-owner Margaret Mieles who said they were shutting down the bar and restaurant part of the pizzeria. She was also upset because she had considered firing Morales because the business was not doing well, but kept him on because he was well liked: "I don’t understand. Why Alfredo? It doesn’t make sense. And it never, ever will." Apparently Garvin came in regularly for spaghetti and didn't behave oddly.
- Garvin was shot many times - there were 30 wounds on his body, though it's unclear how many times he was shot. The police fired at least 50 rounds at him.
- The NYPD will pay for Marshalik and Pekearo's funerals.
Some people were in the Village during the shooting and have written, posted video and photographs: A Brooklyn Life, Chelsa on Vimeo, selectroclash.





Didn't they say he was fired from the Racoon Lodge at the Press Conference?
I thought so...
mikesieben, thanks... my connection to watch the press conference wasn't that hot - I thought that there was some consideration he had worked at DeMarco's...
your coverage of this incident has been great, right from the start. thanks.
The video is pretty rough, you can see him stand above and shoot the 28 y/o officer who is ducking behind a car and then see him chase the NYU student officer across the street to shoot him.
Very sad.
Really creepy: looking at the NYU students facebook account and pictures.
The URL to Chelsa on Vimeo is the same as the one for A Brooklyn life....can you please fix the link? Thanks -
Shit, 135 rounds? If he was packing a 9mm pistol with a capacity of 15 rounds per magazine (not clip) that's 9 mags on him. He was definitely looking to do some hunting, that's for sure...
Looks like this was his webpage.
www.geocities.com/drgarvin/
135rnds?? hell, that's a Wal Mart Value pack.
that's nothing. oh, what race was this animal.
what kind of animal would shoot someone who's hunched over? what kind of animal would shoot a guy on his knees? what kind of animal would shoot a person in his head.
And, get this, what kind of animal would follow another person who's hiding in cover, only to expose him out of cover and shoot him?
What Kind of Animal Is This?
Uh, okay.
What kind of animal? Homo Sapien, brother---the species that's slaughtered every kind of life on the planet since the line began--and not just for food but also for sport. Makes one hope that Global Warming wipes out humanity for good so the planet can start over. Word.
Homo Sapien? You mean Al Sharpton was not responsible for this? You would think he was, since almost every post had his name it it or made reference to it.
Just watched the video of the incident linked to above. Shocking. In regards to many of the comments left on Gothamist's initial breaking post on this story last night: I can really see how these types of cold-blooded street executions will help to revitalize NYC's allegedly moribund cultural scene. And the way those unarmed NYPD volunteers attempted to shield themselves behind cars as a psycho shot them at point blank range? Pffft! The freaking narcs clearly had it coming to them! Hopefully we can all ride their executions to lower rents and a more amenable social scene catering to an "edgy" urban sensibility.
Was there a second shooter or an accomplice?
Tonight they were driving around in an NYPD van making announcements on the loud speaker asking for information. If you had heard the lady on the loud speaker you would all understand why I would ask this question. She was asking for help almost like they are looking for somebody. I was at the scene when this all went down as I live on Bleecker between Sullivan and Thompson and everyone initially thought there was someone else involved.
why isn't the victim who was murdered in the bar mentioned as frequently as the other victims? i am hispanic and my brother is also a police officer (in nj) but it seems that the mexican immigrant is being shut out. i read somewhere that the nypd will pay for the funerals of the aux cops. who will pay for the funeral of mr. morales?
sad...RIP to ALL 3 victims...
-javier
i just watched the video the NYPD released. very disturbing and sad. these 2 young men (the aux. cops) can be seen ducking for cover when this low life piece of trash executes them.
i don't care what anyone says: nyc is dangerous as hell. everyone i know who has lived here long enough has a story about either getting mugged (or worse) that either they or one of their friends experienced. i can think of 3 people off the top of my head who have been robbed.
yes, there are 7+ million people that live here, but there are COUNTRIES with that amount of people where this crap doesn't happen.
don't get me wrong. i love ny. but there is something about being squished in that little area , with all those other hyper-intense people around you, all vying for those same jobs, that makes you insane.
i was a pretty relaxed, non confrontational person before moving here. now, i am shocked and embarassed at my behavior. my friends wonder what happened to me, but for me, it's just a survival skill i learned to be able to cope with the pressure of life here.
Well, those "countries" tend to not be run by liberal judges and employ vast vote-buying schemes like public housing projects.
In fact, these countries don't even have anything close to democracy. And maybe that's the point.
As the US and our bastard children in the rest of the Americas further descend into anarchy, places like Tehran don't seem so bad after all.
The people of Tehran may be poor, but you can walk the streets of that city day or not without fearing for your life or getting robbed. Americans need to think about that a bit.
Yeah, because things like:
-Not having money
-Must obey strict religious rule, on penalty of death.. or worse
-Must not believe in progress
-Must live in fear of possibly getting blown up, either by your fellow religious zealots or them pesky Westerners
...Are much better than walking around NYC.
Okay.
"Tonight they were driving around in an NYPD van making announcements on the loud speaker asking for information. If you had heard the lady on the loud speaker you would all understand why I would ask this question. She was asking for help almost like they are looking for somebody. I was at the scene when this all went down as I live on Bleecker between Sullivan and Thompson and everyone initially thought there was someone else involved."
The night it happened, I heard helicopters circling and looked out my window, and they had search lights focused on the area like they were looking for someone.
And to 'NYC is Dangerous'...if you are from somewhere else and look like you are scared and unknowledgable about NYC, then yes, you will get mugged. I am 5 ft 2 and lived here all my life and ya know what...never been mugged! Neither have my kids or my husband or any body 'native' that I know.
My daughter goes to college in Burlington, VT and more scary stuff has happened there than in all her years here.
To nyc is dangerous.... uh, yes, NYC is dangerous, but just try being from my hometown of Detroit. If you want dangerous, NYC is NOTHING compared to Detroit. I've lived in NYC for 20+ years, and the only crimes I've been a victim of was a stolen wallet or purses, including once in a bar after I drunkenly declared, "I don't care if anyone steals my purse."
I find it disingenuous when folks scream "NYC is dangerous." Not everyone is shot, raped, killed, mugged, vandalized or dismembered here or anywhere else for that matter. Comparitively speaking, NYC is one of the safest large cities in the world. As to the fact that you've "changed' since you've moved here... well, maybe therapy will help with that. Good luck.
javier, come on dude, if people want to donate to help bury mr morales' then i think that is great. but are you suggesting that the nypd or the government should somehow be responsible to pay the cost? truly disturbing if you are
[10] Posted by: american keagle | March 15, 2007 10:23 PM
He looks like a Euro ethnic to me, If that's so important to you.
What does race have to with it?
#23. Once again you are not able to READ clearly what Javier is responding to, how one life appears to be worth less in the reporting of this story.
Why is it that people of color continually have to educate and inform the Euro ehthnics in our midst?
Hats off to the brave Aux Officers. But honestly, why were they called to a scene with an armed to the teeth ex marine? Where was the SWAT team?
squidfly...javier's response had 2 parts. first he asked why the bartender has not received the same coverage as the auxiliary officers. second, he mentioned that the nypd is paying for the auxiliary officers' funerals and wondered who would pay for the bartenders. i didn't understand that 2nd part of it at all because the bartender was an average joe...why should someone pay for his funeral, besides maybe the gunman's family?
and also...i am latino you idiot. what is a "euro ethnic" anyway?? and what does race have to do with wondering who will pay for the funeral??
wow...my comments were taken out of context....all i'm saying is why does it seem one life appears to be worth less in the reporting of this story?
I don't think one life is worth less, it's just that Morales knew the perpetrator and the other two guys just happened to cross the shooter on the street. They also are volunteers, which may make their story more compelling to some people.
Morales's story is really sad too. He was working full time, studying English, and saving money to move back and buy a house in Pueblo (Mexico) with his GF. They were planning to move back soon.
As long as NYC (And expecially Gothamist) remains crime-Law & Order-obsessed, NYC will continue to have a terrible reputation, despite the fact it's probably one of the safest cities in the world given the population vs crime stats.