In a heartbreaking turn of events on an Upper East Side street, a retired Chicago probation officer, Kathleen Leigh, 65, gunned down her former daughter-in-law, Marisa Galloway, 45, before taking her own life. The incident unfolded amidst a bitter child custody dispute, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny.

The feud, which had a history of domestic incidents, reached its devastating climax on East 88th Street, just a block away from Gracie Mansion. Around 9 a.m., Leigh approached Galloway as she was loading a baby into a parked car. Without warning, Leigh shot Galloway twice - once in the head and once in the back - before turning the gun on herself.

Tragically, both women sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Galloway's 1-year-old daughter, who was in the backseat of a nearby vehicle, remained unharmed throughout the violent episode. Kenny revealed that Leigh had relocated to New York City from Chicago three years ago and was the grandmother of Galloway's 4-year-old son.

The custody battle over the young boy had been a contentious issue, leading to five domestic incident reports and two complaints, but no arrests had been made prior to this devastating incident. The surveillance footage captured the chilling moment when Galloway was attacked while she was putting her other child, the 1-year-old girl, into the car.

The sound of three gunshots shattered the calm of the usually peaceful tree-lined block, causing witnesses to seek cover. One witness described the scene, stating that he initially thought the shooting occurred near Gracie Mansion and that a stray bullet had hit Leigh. However, upon closer inspection, he discovered another woman lying behind the car, also wounded from gunshots.

Another witness, identified as Mr. Ridriguez, promptly informed the police at Gracie Mansion about the shooting upon arriving for work. He expressed sadness over the tragic event, emphasizing that the neighborhood had always been quiet and that the police were close by.

First responders found Galloway still breathing but bloodied, slumped near the car's rear. Leigh, on the other hand, had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and was lying on the sidewalk. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Leigh was pronounced dead at the scene, while Galloway was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center. Tragically, doctors declared her dead upon arrival.

During the investigation, authorities discovered two guns near Leigh: a loaded 9-millimeter Glock pistol on the sidewalk, and another firearm inside a tote bag she was carrying. It remains unclear if these firearms were retirement weapons from her time as a probation officer, and the police will conduct further investigations to determine their origin.

This heart-wrenching tragedy highlights the devastating consequences that can arise from prolonged disputes and serves as a reminder of the importance of resolving conflicts through peaceful means.