( 4UMF NEWS ) Pathmark Gunman Was Ex-Marine:
A heavily-armed ex-Marine rifleman in camouflage gear gunned down two co-workers in a New Jersey supermarket rampage before killing himself early Friday, officials said.
Terrell Tyler, 23, punched out from his graveyard shift at the Pathmark store at 3:30 a.m. and returned 30 minutes later with murderous intent — along with an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun.
The disgruntled worker, hired just two weeks ago, squeezed off 16 rifle shots at the skeleton crew as terrified co-workers scrambled for their lives before sunrise, officials said.
Defenseless Cristina Lobrutto, 18, of Old Bridge, N.J., and her friend Bryan Breen, 24, of Laurence Harbor, N.J., were killed, while a dozen colleagues escaped the carnage unharmed. A store manager reportedly steered most of the survivors to safety through a back door before Tyler committed suicide.
Lobrutto was covering a shift for a friend when the shooting started, with Tyler blasting out two of the front windows during the unprovoked attack. The shooter was carrying extra magazines of ammunition, the assault rifle and a handgun when the killings began, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.
Tyler worked as a stockboy in the Old Bridge store on Route 9, according to another employee. Tyler and his two victims were all at work when he left at the end of his shift. The gunman lived in an apartment about a block from the Old Bridge supermarket.
Tyler, who once lived in Brooklyn, spent nearly two years in the Marine Corps — stationed mostly in California. The lance corporal, whose military specialty was rifleman, was discharged on Feb. 27, 2010. He received a pair of medals during his time in the Marines, and never served overseas, according to USMC records.
Family members at his apartment Friday said they were unaware of any mental problems or other issues with the killer.
“He was a quiet guy,” said an uncle, who identified himself only as Chris. “He was alright. We just want to offer our condolences to all the victims’ families.”
