Police are searching for the gunman in the shooting of Long Island developer Gary Melius outside his Oheka Castle in Huntington, N.Y. They said they believed the suspect escaped in a car.
Melius underwent surgery last night at North Shore-Long Island Jewish System, the New York Times reported. He is said to be in stable condition.
The 69-year-old developer was shot in the head by a masked gunman as Melius pulled his car into the property, which also serves as a high-end hotel and catering hall. The gunman appears to have been waiting for Melius to arrive. Sources said the attack did not appear to be part of a robbery attempt.
Lunch patrons and many other workers were at the estate at the time at the shooting. His daughter saw Melius in the parking lot and rushed him to Syosset Hospital, the New York Times reported.
Oheka Castle has played host to many high-profile events, including the wedding of former Congressman Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin, which was officiated by former President Bill Clinton.
News of the shooting has shocked the real estate community.
“It was inconceivable,” Gary Lewi, former press secretary for Melius associate ex-U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato, told the Times. “It would be akin to a personality like Robert Moses being gunned down in the parking lot of Jones Beach. It was like, ‘What? That cannot be right.’ ” [NYT] — Mark Maurer