Elderly Woman Charged After Shooting Neighbor In Face With Flare

A senior community in Suffolk County was shaken after a longtime feud between two neighbors ended in violence. A 67-year-old man was left with stitches across his face after being shot with a flare gun by the woman who lives just doors away.

The Incident Caught on Camera

The attack, captured on home security video, shows Richard Catrone walking his dog outside his apartment when his neighbor, 76-year-old Kathleen Schuman, steps outside. Within seconds, she raises a flare gun and fires, striking him across the cheek. The video shows Catrone clutching his face as the flare bounces off, leaving him in shock and pain.

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“My next inclination was to get the gun,” Catrone recalled. “I knocked it out of her hand because I wanted to protect my dog and myself. Kathleen showed no emotion. She said I was the devil and even told me, ‘I’m sorry I missed.’”

A Feud Between Neighbors

Neighbors say tensions between the two have been simmering for some time, mostly over their pets. Schuman owns a cat, while Catrone has a dog.

“She moved out for a few months to live with her sister, but just came back recently,” said neighbor Mary Neitzel. “The problems started up again almost right away.”

Catrone says he has asked Schuman to keep her cat indoors and has even filed complaints with the property management company.

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Police Response and Court Ruling

Schuman was arrested and charged with assault. She pleaded not guilty in court. As a condition of her release, the judge ordered her to stay away from Catrone. She was allowed to return to her apartment once, with police supervision, to collect her belongings before moving in temporarily with a relative.

The management company, Belmont Villas, released a statement saying the situation was “an isolated incident” and stressed that the safety of residents remains their top priority.

A Resident Left Shaken

For Catrone, the ordeal has been difficult to process. With stitches still fresh on his cheek, he reflected on the shocking nature of the attack.

“I’ve lived in Manhattan, San Francisco, and Boston, and nothing like this ever happened,” he said. “I moved to a senior community for peace and quiet, and my neighbor shoots me in the face with a flare.”