A rather bizarre Crime Spree in New York City came to an end at approximately 12:45 pm on Sunday. Following an emergency call, New York police officers responded to a report of a home invasion in Staten Island. At the scene, officers found 41-year-old Lori Gjenashaj, who police claim was armed with a revolver and driving a black SUV. Police fired five rounds at Gjenashaj, striking her once in the shoulder. This stopped the middle-aged woman's brief reign of terror.
The night before, at 11:20 pm, Gjenashaj allegedly attacked and attempted to strangle another parent attending a school play.
The incident occurred at the Academy of St. Dorothy, a private, Catholic elementary school in Staten Island. According to reports, prior to the altercation, Gjenashaj had called the unnamed woman's child "sexually explicit" names. Following this attack, Gjenashaj was charged with a misdemeanor offense, issued a desk appearance ticket by the police, and set free.
The following day, Gjenashaj arrived at the the home of her mother-in-law and threatened her. Gjenashaj's final act of violence saw her drive to the home of one of her friends, try to break into her residence by throwing a brick at her door, and use a gun to shoot at (and miss) the woman's 13-year-old son. No charges have yet been filed against Gjenashaj, and she is currently receiving treatment for her wound at a local hospital.
Snapped
So far, NYPD police officials have yet to provide any semblance of a motive for Gjenashaj's actions. However, it does appear that all of those targeted were either friends or former friends of Gjenashaj. The New York Daily News has reported that the 39-year-old woman who was choked at the school play was a known friend of a third party who was once close with Gjenashaj.
It also appears that the attack occurred right after the victim said "What did you say to my daughter?" after Gjenashaj's use of a vulgar name or word.
Another interesting development in this case is that, prior to being arrested, Gjenashaj let an unidentified male relative out of her SUV. This individual was taken into custody, but police have released him and are not expected to file any charges against him.
Gjenashaj's Staten Island neighbors have claimed that their neighborhood is normally very peaceful. One person claims that this peace was broken when, after the sound of gunshots, they heard Gjenashaj screaming: "I'm f****** shot."
Violence spreads
Several New York outlets have picked up on the fact that Gjenashaj's crime spree occurred during the same weekend as another case of a police shooting in the city. In Harlem, 28-year-old Michael Vasquez was shot in the shoulder by police officers responding to an armed robbery call at a Whole Foods. Reports say that Vasquez was armed with a knife. This incident marks the fourth police shooting involving the NYPD in 2018.
