The evil inside Jonathon Walker remained hidden for 34 years — and exploded on Saturday in 60 savage seconds.
The patriarch of a seemingly picture-perfect family methodically killed his wife, 7-year-old daughter and mother-in-law in a sudden spray of bullets before turning the gun on himself.
The hulking Walker, after blasting the three victims in their heads inside the Queens home, later put a .45-caliber slug into his skull to end a five-hour NYPD manhunt.
The ex-international basketball player also tried to execute his 12-year-old daughter, but tough little Christina Walker survived the gunshot to her head and bravely dialed 911 for help.
Police rushed to the gore-spattered home only to find the bodies of Walker’s wife, Shantai Hale, 31; her mom, Viola, 62; and Kayla Walker, 7, after the gunman targeted the victims one by one in their bedrooms, the sources said. Each was found on the floor.
The badly wounded Christina told police that her father just snapped, but authorities remained stumped for a motive in the killing spree. The couple had no history of domestic violence, and Facebook photos provided an idyllic portrait of family bliss with a devoted dad.
“He was a very nice person and a great father,” said a teary Wendell Warren, one of Viola’s six siblings. “He loved his kids. We thought he’d do anything for them.
“It’s devastating, but nobody saw this coming. Nobody knew this, nobody.”
Viola’s weeping sister said the Walker family, a tight-knit and typically happy group, was living with the doomed grandmother in her home
“She was a lovely person,” said a devastated Patricia Simmons, 64, of her sisters. “She cared for her grandkids. She always made a place for them. Her daughter was living with her — with this guy.
“They seemed to be such a happy family. I didn’t see anything I should be alarmed about. We’re all so shocked.”
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Walker, who played pro basketball in Portugal in 2008-09, fled the Springfield Gardens home immediately after the slaughter, the sources said.
Cops said Walker, 34, parked his car outside the two-story residence about 5:38 a.m., burst inside and opened fire with his Smith & Wesson handgun.
He marched from room to room, shooting the four victims in rapid succession. Two minutes after the carnage began, a 911 operator answered a phone call from the wounded Christina — who identified her father as the killer.
“Her speech was somewhat limited, but we were able to get a very good statement from her,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.
Walker, at about 6 a.m., made a call of his own — reaching out to his brother in Las Vegas before killing himself at the end of a dirt road in a wooded area near the Bergen Basin, a waterway just west of Kennedy Airport.
“Basically, he states to his brother, ‘What I did, I cannot come back from,’ and there’s a short conversation thereafter,” Boyce said.
No comments:
Post a Comment