Published: August 25, 2008 08:56 pm            

NIAGARA FALLS: Workplace shooting goes unreported for days

A Town of Niagara man was charged late Monday in connection with a workplace shooting in the city on Friday that no one reported to police — until Monday.

Detectives said William P. Rosati, 48, 7628 Sunnyside Drive, will face charges of first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree menacing when he is arraigned in Falls City Court later this morning.

The shooting incident took place about 11:30 a.m. Friday at Niagara Maintenance Contracting Corp. in the 5600 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard. Rosati is employed as a supervisor there.

What led up to the shooting is unclear but investigators said several co-workers saw Rosati walking around with a handgun and watched as he opened fire.

“He began firing shots into the wall, the floor, he shot a briefcase, a desk and a water cooler,” Falls police Detective Capt. Ernest Palmer sad. “He then went into another building and pointed the gun at a co-worker, but did not threaten him.”

Palmer said Rosati was disarmed by another co-worker and taken out of the building. Rosati was then apparently driven home by a fellow employee.

“All this happened and nobody called the cops,” Palmer said. “When we asked why, no one could really explain it. One guy said he didn’t feel threatened (by the shooting).”

The detective chief said investigators are not sure why Rosati, who has a valid pistol permit, would have opened fire with innocent by-standers all around.

“It appears (Rosati) had been drinking,” Palmer said. “An open bottle of whiskey was found in his office by another employee.”

Police were first alerted to the shooting when the company owner called them Monday morning. The owner was not at the workplace on Friday.

“He came back from a weekend away and found the place shot up and called us,” Palmer said. “We recovered multiple shell casings from a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun.”

Palmer said Rosati was not at work Monday, but voluntarily turned himself in at police headquarters. The detective chief said Rosati also surrendered the gun used in the shooting and three other handguns.

He said he expects Rosati’s pistol permit will be suspended as early as today.

“It’s bizarre,” Palmer said of the incident. “It could have been potentially life-threatening for his co-workers. We’re lucky no one got struck (by a stray bullet).”

        

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