By Marley Seaman
According to police, Elton Smith, 28, of 2419 Gale Ave., got into an argument with a contractor who was working on Smith's home on the morning of Feb. 1.
At 9:50 a.m., as the dispute, which began inside the home, spilled out onto Gale Avenue, police said that Smith took out a 9 mm handgun and fired five times at the contractor. Four of the shots struck the victim's Lincoln Navigator as he sped away. Smith also fled the scene. Police later recovered the victim's car in Roosevelt.
Officials would not comment on the nature of the argument or what compelled Smith to use a gun.
The shots came as students at nearby St. Christopher's School were between second- and third-period classes, and the school was quickly locked down. Students in the hallways were told to go to the nearest classrooms and the windows were covered with cardboard panels, students said.
"We thought it was firecrackers," said a parent who was at the school at the time.
School officials at St. Christopher's would not comment.
The St. Christopher's church and rectory, just across the street from Smith's home, were also secured, even as the morning mass continued. "The entire complex was locked down," said Associate Pastor Brian McQuade.
The lockdown ended at about 11:20 a.m., and students were dismissed normally at the end of the scheduled half-day. Afterward, school activities went on as planned, though the church's doors remained locked throughout the afternoon.
Police closed off Gale Avenue for several hours as they tried to determine Smith's whereabouts and spoke with his girlfriend, who was at the home during the dispute. Police officers and detectives came and went from the residence, as helicopters hovered above the area and markers were placed on the ground indicating where spent shell casings where found.
Later, the incident took another dramatic turn. At approximately 12:45 p.m., Smith's girlfriend, Melody Clemens, left the house and attempted to get into a green Pontiac Grand Am sitting in the driveway. Police quickly surrounded her, and she was taken away in handcuffs, yelling and screaming as she was put into a police car. "You're hurting me," Clemens yelled.
She was charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction of government administration, said a spokesperson for District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
Later that afternoon, Clemens's sister, Shannon Hoskins, was also arrested for evidence tampering. The sisters share the Gale Avenue home with their mother and Smith.
Smith negotiated a surrender to police later that day, eventually turning himself in at the 1st Precinct station house at 9:30 p.m. He was charged with first-degree attempted assault, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of second-degree criminal use of a firearm.
Smith, Clemens and Hoskins are all being represented by defense attorney Lou Agresta of Mineola. Agresta did not return calls for comment.
Along with St. Christopher's School, Baldwin schools went into lockdown at 10:10 a.m. Schools in Oceanside and Rockville Centre were also locked down. "We got a call from the Nassau County Police Department that there [was] a police action happening in Baldwin involving gunshots, and they were recommending that we lock down all the schools," said Baldwin district spokeswoman Cristina Schmohl.
The latest incident comes just over two months after the school district last used a lockdown procedure, on Nov. 24, when an attempted bank robbery in Baldwin resulted in a manhunt for a suspect in the vicinity of Baldwin High School. Schmohl explained that during this latest incident, as during the last, things went smoothly. "We have a good system here," she said.
Once the lockdown began, Schmohl explained, the district spread the word to parents, sending out a safety alert via its e-mail list. The district's Web site was also updated.
During a lockdown, said Schmohl, students and faculty are not permitted to move between buildings, and visitors are not admitted, although classes and lunch periods proceeded as usual that day.
During the November incident, Schmohl said, students at the high school were kept in the same classes for several periods because the police search took place near to the school. Schmohl also said that the previous situation was drastically different from the latest shooting, which seems to have been a domestic dispute. "These are things that could happen anywhere," said Schmohl, who encouraged parents to sign up for the district's safety alert e-mail list.
"We continue to be prepared, and we learn from these situations," said Schmohl. "The safety of the students and staff are our primary concern. Hopefully we'll never have to see this happen again."
Schmohl said the lockdown was lifted at approximately 11:34 a.m., and that parents were notified soon afterward.
Several residents of Gale Avenue said that Smith was fairly new to the area, having lived there for only a few months. They also said that they were alarmed by the incident in what is normally a quiet neighborhood. "It makes me very nervous," said a man who identified himself only as Nick. "It's bad for the neighborhood. It's quiet around here."
He added that several retired law enforcement officials live on Gale Avenue, and that their presence had eased his mind before the day's events. "I felt safe," he said.
Anthony Rifilato contributed to this story. Comments about it? Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
