TOWN OF WALLKILL – Two men sustained fatal gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Buffalo Wild Wings in the Town of Wallkill on Sunday night. Multiple police agencies responded to the scene that was originally treated as a double-homicide. The original story, first published by Mid-Hudson News can be found here.
On Monday, Town of Wallkill Police Chief Robert Hertman identified the two victims as 36-year-old NYPD Housing Officer Sean Armstead of Port Jervis and 20-year-old Edward Wilkins of Wurtsboro. Both men died from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Buffalo Wild Wings on Route 211 in Wallkill.
A police source told Mid-Hudson News that Armstead shot and killed Wilkins after catching the young man having an affair with Armstead’s wife, Alexandra Vanderheyden, and then shot himself, dying next to his wife’s lover.
The formal investigation into the two deaths is being conducted jointly by the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Town of Wallkill Police Department, according to Chief Hertman. The attorney general’s office is involved in the inquiry because a police officer was involved in the incident.
The police source said that Armstead had followed Wilkins after the lover had brought Vanderheyden back to her car following a romantic encounter earlier on Sunday near the crime scene.
A second witness told Mid-Hudson News that two vehicles, possibly a Dodge Charger, and a smaller import sedan were racing up Route 211 on Sunday night when the Charger crashed into the sedan, spinning both vehicles. A young man, now known as Wilkins, was seen running from the sedan towards the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, with the driver of the Charger, presumably Armstead, chasing him. The witness said Armstead caught up to Wilkins and began shooting at him with a pistol. At least one bullet struck Wilkins, killing him. A second witness said the shooter, Armstead, then shot himself, dying next to Wilkins.
