the article of the crime
After gunshots, first reunion may be last; 2 hurt, family members terrified by attack on gathering
By James Smith
Journal staff writer
LAPEER TWP. - After an angry neighbor shot two of her out-of-town guests, Kay M. LaDuke doubts any of her family will ever return to her house.
About 40 of LaDuke's relatives were gathered around a bonfire at her family reunion at about 10 p.m. Sunday, laughing, singing and enjoying the company of several generations from ages 7 to 83.
Some of the festivities were captured on videotape, which also recorded the sound of about a dozen long-range birdshot rounds allegedly fired by next-door neighbor Dean M. Swoffer, 45.
That's when the reunion turned chaotic.
Some guests dove under picnic tables, behind trees or made a dash for the house. Another switched off the lights of a nearby gazebo.
Flashes from a 12-gauge shotgun could be seen through the trees, LaDuke said.
The reunion, the first for the family in 25 years, may be the last, especially at her house, she said.
"People were panic-stricken," LaDuke said.
"He put us through fear and terror. Everyone was having a good time, and even those who live nearby and were going to come back (on) Monday didn't. I'm not sure anyone will ever come back."
Lt. Patrick McGreevy, commander of the state police post in Lapeer, said investigators recovered 11 spent shotgun shells from Swoffer's property.
"It's an absolute miracle that someone didn't get killed," McGreevy said. "It could have been a lot worse."
On Monday, Swoffer was arraigned on two counts of felonious assault and one count of committing a felony with a firearm.
He is being held at the Lapeer County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bond.
Swoffer had crashed the party, and a LaDuke cousin had asked him to go home after he became drunk and unruly, LaDuke said. He flipped his middle finger at the family on the way back to his house, she said.
Swoffer initially denied shooting his shotgun, but later admitted he was firing the gun in celebration of the Fourth of July holiday, according to a state police report.
Police said Swoffer appeared highly intoxicated, and he had a reading of 0.217 percent on a blood alcohol test. State law says a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more is considered proof of
drunkenness.
Swoffer's wife, Pat, said she didn't know her husband had gone over to LaDuke's, and she was asleep when she was awakened by his shooting an old shotgun.
"He didn't mean to hurt anybody - I know my husband," Pat Swoffer said. "We had been kind of fighting. He got loaded."
She said there were 12 distinct marks in the ground where her husband fired the gun, and she suspects the birdshot ricocheted into LaDuke's party. Her husband has a drinking problem, she said.
"He never meant to hurt anyone. He's a pussycat," Pat Swoffer said. "I think maybe now they'll make him get some help."
Both of LaDuke's injured relatives were hit by the long-range shots and have since been released from the hospital.
LaDuke's mother, 83, was sitting next to victim Brian Wishaw, 22, of Chesterfield Township, when she heard him yell. She began to admonish him about being too loud before she discovered he had been shot in the chest, LaDuke said.
Another guest, Christopher K. Pastir, 24, of Pompano Beach, Fla., was struck in the back. Pastir headed home for Florida to have the shot removed from his back near his spine, LaDuke said.
Shots were still being fired when police arrived a few minutes after a 911 call was made, LaDuke said.
Lapeer police Officer William Stokes, who was first on the scene, loaded the two victims into his car and drove them to a waiting ambulance, according to the police report.
After police showed up, LaDuke said her entire family was hustled into her house and clung to the floor while officers approached Swoffer's house. Swoffer quietly surrendered.
LaDuke said her family had gathered on her four acres in motor homes, tents and trailers for a weekend of camping and fun.
The morning after the shooting, nearly all had pulled up stakes and left, some leaving behind pitched tents and their cars, she said.
this was so scary....my brother is chris pastir the one who got shot in the bak but he had the bullet taken out and he's ok now
the wife said he is just a "pussycat" ..................HAHAHA!!! yea, a pussycat with a high powered shotgun!!!
By James Smith
Journal staff writer
LAPEER TWP. - After an angry neighbor shot two of her out-of-town guests, Kay M. LaDuke doubts any of her family will ever return to her house.
About 40 of LaDuke's relatives were gathered around a bonfire at her family reunion at about 10 p.m. Sunday, laughing, singing and enjoying the company of several generations from ages 7 to 83.
Some of the festivities were captured on videotape, which also recorded the sound of about a dozen long-range birdshot rounds allegedly fired by next-door neighbor Dean M. Swoffer, 45.
That's when the reunion turned chaotic.
Some guests dove under picnic tables, behind trees or made a dash for the house. Another switched off the lights of a nearby gazebo.
Flashes from a 12-gauge shotgun could be seen through the trees, LaDuke said.
The reunion, the first for the family in 25 years, may be the last, especially at her house, she said.
"People were panic-stricken," LaDuke said.
"He put us through fear and terror. Everyone was having a good time, and even those who live nearby and were going to come back (on) Monday didn't. I'm not sure anyone will ever come back."
Lt. Patrick McGreevy, commander of the state police post in Lapeer, said investigators recovered 11 spent shotgun shells from Swoffer's property.
"It's an absolute miracle that someone didn't get killed," McGreevy said. "It could have been a lot worse."
On Monday, Swoffer was arraigned on two counts of felonious assault and one count of committing a felony with a firearm.
He is being held at the Lapeer County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bond.
Swoffer had crashed the party, and a LaDuke cousin had asked him to go home after he became drunk and unruly, LaDuke said. He flipped his middle finger at the family on the way back to his house, she said.
Swoffer initially denied shooting his shotgun, but later admitted he was firing the gun in celebration of the Fourth of July holiday, according to a state police report.
Police said Swoffer appeared highly intoxicated, and he had a reading of 0.217 percent on a blood alcohol test. State law says a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more is considered proof of
drunkenness.
Swoffer's wife, Pat, said she didn't know her husband had gone over to LaDuke's, and she was asleep when she was awakened by his shooting an old shotgun.
"He didn't mean to hurt anybody - I know my husband," Pat Swoffer said. "We had been kind of fighting. He got loaded."
She said there were 12 distinct marks in the ground where her husband fired the gun, and she suspects the birdshot ricocheted into LaDuke's party. Her husband has a drinking problem, she said.
"He never meant to hurt anyone. He's a pussycat," Pat Swoffer said. "I think maybe now they'll make him get some help."
Both of LaDuke's injured relatives were hit by the long-range shots and have since been released from the hospital.
LaDuke's mother, 83, was sitting next to victim Brian Wishaw, 22, of Chesterfield Township, when she heard him yell. She began to admonish him about being too loud before she discovered he had been shot in the chest, LaDuke said.
Another guest, Christopher K. Pastir, 24, of Pompano Beach, Fla., was struck in the back. Pastir headed home for Florida to have the shot removed from his back near his spine, LaDuke said.
Shots were still being fired when police arrived a few minutes after a 911 call was made, LaDuke said.
Lapeer police Officer William Stokes, who was first on the scene, loaded the two victims into his car and drove them to a waiting ambulance, according to the police report.
After police showed up, LaDuke said her entire family was hustled into her house and clung to the floor while officers approached Swoffer's house. Swoffer quietly surrendered.
LaDuke said her family had gathered on her four acres in motor homes, tents and trailers for a weekend of camping and fun.
The morning after the shooting, nearly all had pulled up stakes and left, some leaving behind pitched tents and their cars, she said.
this was so scary....my brother is chris pastir the one who got shot in the bak but he had the bullet taken out and he's ok now
the wife said he is just a "pussycat" ..................HAHAHA!!! yea, a pussycat with a high powered shotgun!!!