Albany Sniper Kills 3, Hurts 2, Then Gives Up

A sniper firing on passers-by from his apartment building killed three people and seriously wounded two others Saturday before throwing down his rifle and surrendering to police, authorities said.

The suspect, Robert L. Beebe, 55, tossed a .30-caliber rifle from the roof of the building and surrendered. Police later found a rifle, crossbow and a chest containing ammunition in his apartment.

The shooting spree apparently began as a quarrel between Beebe and his wife, Albany Detective Lt. Robert C. Grebert said.

The gunfire erupted at 12:28 a.m. from Beebe’s three-story row house in a neighborhood about three blocks from the New York governor’s mansion.

Witnesses said the suspect fired 10 to 12 shots.

Woman on Street

The first officer to arrive found a woman lying on the street “suffering from an apparent gunshot wound,” Sgt. Robert Wolfgang said. “When the officer went to her assistance and attempted to determine what had happened, he was fired upon and had to take cover.”

Four men were found wounded on the pavement nearby.

Police fired three shots at the sniper after he opened fire on officers who were trying to rescue the wounded, Wolfgang said. The police officers were not injured.

Police took Beebe into custody after he dropped his weapon. He was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder and was taken to the Albany County Jail, police said.

The dead were identified as Pauline James, 48; George Perez, 17, and Michael Brewington, 34, all of Albany.