49th Pct. fundraiser aids child left orphaned by murder-suicide

49th Pct. fundraiser aids child left orphaned by murder-suicide
Photo courtesy of 49th Precinct

Police and community members have taken up the cause of a child who was recently orphaned when his mother was slain.

Last week, the 49th Precinct established a fundraiser to help six-year-old Tyrone Lowe, Jr. who lost his parents in a murder-suicide this past December.

As previously reported, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Shoshane Rattigan, 28, was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend, Tyrone Lowe inside their 1570 Bogart Avenue residence.

Neighbors told the Bronx Times that the couple’s son and Rattigan’s 20-year-old nephew were in another room when the murder occurred.

Neither were harmed or witnessed the shooting.

Lowe, 30, was last seen fleeing the crime scene in his 2006 Honda Odyssey as he left his dying former girlfriend behind.

Police from the 49th Precinct and EMS rushed to Rattigan’s home, but it was too late to save her.

A week later on Tuesday, December 8, 47th Precinct police and EMS discovered Lowe dead inside of his parked gray minivan in the vicinity of Hollers Avenue and Hutchinson River Parkway. He had a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head. A handgun was found next to him.

According to residents, Rattigan had mentioned that her beau had been phsyically abusive to her.

Sources at the 49th Precinct said young Tyrone now resides with his grandfather.

Officer David Lepore, 49th Community Affairs Unit explained that the fundraiser serves two purposes which is to collect money to send to Tyrone and his grandfather to Disneyworld and to start a 529 College Fund for the orphaned child.

“Our main goal is to better Tyrone’s life as he experienced a terrible tragedy and we wanted to both help him now by sending him to Disneyworld and to give him a better future with a college fund,” shared Captain Keith Walton, 49th Precinct commanding officer.

“We realized he will forever be a by-product of domestic violence having a mother that was killed by his father who then took his own life,” the captain added. “If it’s true in what they say that it takes a village to raise a child then we are more than willing to be a part of that village.”

Kay Cardona, a Morris Park community activist, knew Rattigan who was employed as a nurse at a local nursing facility and was delighted to hear of the fundraiser designed to help the youngster.

“Thank goodness Shoshane’s son Tyrone is going to get the help he needs to live a normal life and I know she’s looking down on her son and smiling,” said Cardona.

“It’s one of the saddest situations I’ve ever been a party to,” said Joseph Thompson, 49th Precinct Community Council president. “Hopefully, through this fundraiser we can all help give this child a decent future.”

Thompson said the fundraiser has raised over $577.

Checks and money orders can be made out to 49th Precinct Community Council. Cash will not be accepted.

Thompson said in-person donations can also be given directly to the 49th Precinct’s Community Affairs Detective Jay Sturdivant or police officer Lepore.

For more information, contact the 49th Precinct Community Affairs Office at (718) 918-2025.