Two men in their fifties were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds to the head inside of a Staten Island business on Tuesday evening, according to the NYPD. One of the victims has been identified as 57-year-old Michael Genovese of New Jersey, reportedly the owner of the company, which sells loans to small businesses. The NY Post reports that the second victim was a colleague of Genovese, 52-year-old Carl Clark, though police could only confirm his age.
Cops responded to a call of shots fired at 124 Buel Avenue in Dongan Hills just before 6:15 p.m., according to the department. EMS declared both victims dead on the scene.
Addressing reporters Wednesday morning, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said he believed at least one of the victims was targeted by the shooter.
"The case has advanced quickly overnight," he said earlier today. "We don't believe it's a robbery. We believe one or two of these males were purposefully targeted by the shooter."
Each victim was "shot three times at close range," he added.
A law enforcement source tells the Post that the shooter is now believed to be a "disgruntled" former employee of Genovese. The source tells the tabloid that the ex-employee, who has not yet been named, showed up at the office last night armed and wearing a mask.
One man who described himself as a former employee told the Post that Genovese was a "good guy" if "a little wild." Clark was reportedly a whistle-blower, having been fired from a previous job after filing a complaint that his employer, the shareholder advisory firm ISS, had been selling clients' voting data.
According to an NYPD spokesman, a witness reported seeing the suspect exit the Buel Avenue address in a dark hooded sweatshirt with a balaclava covering the lower part of his face, carrying an umbrella. Cops believe he fled in grey vehicle, possibly a Hyundai or Acura sedan. No arrests have been made as of Wednesday.
