New York State Casino Security Guard Allegedly Killed by Jealous NYPD Cop
Monticello, N.Y. May 21 2022
A man, recently identified as an off-duty security guard at Monticello, N.Y.’s Resorts World Catskills casino, was fatally wounded last week by an off-duty NYPD officer. It was tied to an apparent love triangle involving the cop’s wife, media reports claim. The officer then shot himself dead with his department-issued firearm.
Police officers at Middletown’s Buffalo Wild Wings, pictured above. The New York State restaurant’s parking lot was the site of an apparent murder-suicide. Since then, police identified one of the victims as Edward Wilkins, who worked as a casino security guard. (Image: Pimiso)
The deceased casino guard is Edward Wilkins, 20, of Wurtsboro, N.Y, New York media outlets reported, based on information from the Wallkill Police Department.
The deceased NYPD officer is Sean Armstead, 36, of Port Jervis, N.Y., the reports add. He had worked as a New York City cop for 10 years.
The Mother’s Day bloody shooting took place outside of Middletown’s Buffalo Wild Wings, according to a statement from Wallkill Police Chief Robert Hertman. Middletown is a small community some 76 miles north of New York City.
The Sunday night incident began with Armstead driving his car into Wilkins’ vehicle, police said. The two then got into an argument. Armstead began shooting at Wilkins, police add. He was using his NYPD-issued Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol.
Wilkins ran into the parking lot at the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings. But the shots continued. Wilkins was wounded 16 times in his head and back, news reports said.
Afterward, Armstead fatally shot himself once time in the head, the reports add. Both men were declared dead at the crime scene, police said.
The incident is being investigated by the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Wallkill Police Department.
The men knew each other before the murder-suicide. Wilkins reportedly was in a romantic relationship with Armstead’s wife, identified by the New York Post as Alexandra Vanderheyden, 35.
He worked at Vanderheyden’s dog walking operation, the newspaper further reported, citing unnamed sources.
On Saturday, hundreds of mourners attended his wake at the William M. Gagan funeral home, the New York Post said.
Vanderheyden did not attend the weekend wake, the New York Post said.
The woman was not injured in the bloody incident. She was in the area where the shooting took place to meet with Wilkins at a Wallkill hotel, the newspaper claimed.
Armstead had tracked her cell phone to the location, the Hudson Valley Post, a local newspaper, added.
Another woman, who identified herself as Wilkins’ grandmother, told the New York Post at the funeral home, “I blame the woman.”
It’s a terrible tragedy,” the grieving grandmother added. “He just turned 20. His birthday was April 12.”
