THIS is the shocking moment a 76-year-old woman blasted her neighbor in the face with a flare gun during a fiery row at their quiet retirement community.
Kathleen Schuman, 76, allegedly fired the weapon at 67-year-old Richard Cutrone outside their homes at the Belmont Vistas Senior Apartments in West Babylon, New York, on Monday evening.
Home security footage captured the shocking moment Schuman raised the flare gun and fired directly at Cutrone
Kathleen Schuman, 76, allegedly blasted her weapon at her neighbour outside their homes
67-year-old Richard Cutrone was left clutching his face in agony as he reels back from the scene in disbelief
What was meant to be a peaceful haven for the over-55s turned into a crime scene as horrified residents watched the long-simmering feud erupt in violence, Suffolk County police said.
The terrifying footage shows him walking his dog on a leash when Schuman suddenly emerges from her apartment a few doors away.
Seconds later, she raises the flare gun and fires.
The flare ricochets off Cutrone’s cheek, leaving him clutching his face in agony as he reels back in disbelief.
“My next inclination was to get the gun and I knocked it out of her hand and she went to get it and I wanted to protect my dog I wanted to protect myself,” recalled Cutrone.
“Kathleen showed no emotion. She claimed I was the devil that I tried to murder her. She said ‘I’m sorry I missed, sorry I missed.’”
Police arrested Schuman shortly after the incident. Cutrone’s blood was still visible on the walkway outside their apartments when reporters arrived.
She now faces a charge of second-degree assault but investigators have yet to reveal what sparked the attack.
Neighbors say the pensioners had been at odds for months – and the bad blood finally boiled over.
“We are aware of an altercation that occurred yesterday evening between two residents,” a spokesperson for Conifer LLC., which oversees Belmont Vistas, said in a statement.
Home security footage captured the shocking moment Schuman raised the flare gun and fired directly at Cutrone as he strolled outside his apartment.
She appeared before a judge Tuesday, where she was officially charged with second-degree assault. Schuman has denied the allegation.
The victim, Richard Cutrone, told NBC 4 New York that he and Schuman had never seen eye-to-eye since he moved into the community.
Cutrone, who was rushed to hospital, is expected to make a full recovery.
Schuman, too, was taken for treatment with what officials described as non-life-threatening injuries.
In court, the flare-firing septuagenarian was ordered to stay away from her neighbor.
A judge allowed her to briefly return with a police escort to collect her belongings before she moved in with a relative.
The flare gun blast left Cutrone with six stitches across his cheek, his face bloodied and bandaged as he spoke to NBC New York.
Neighbors claim the feud stemmed from their pets – Schuman has a cat, while Cutrone owns a dog.
“He started harassing her because he said her cat was always upsetting his dog and she would sit outside with it,” said neighbor Mary Neitzel.
“She actually moved out to live with her sister for a few months. She just moved back a week ago and he just keeps bothering her.”
But Cutrone insists he only ever asked Schuman to keep her cat indoors.
“I just asked her can you keep the cat inside and that started the situation,” he said, adding that he had lodged complaints with the management company.
The management insists the violence had nothing to do with the community itself.
A spokesman for Belmont Villas told NBC New York: “This was an isolated incident between individuals and unrelated to the community itself.
“We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they handle the matter. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priority.”
Cutrone, still reeling, said he never imagined such an attack would happen in what was meant to be a safe senior community.
“I’ve lived in Manhattan. I’ve lived in San Francisco. I’ve lived in Boston and nothing ever happened to me,” he said. “I moved to Suffolk County a senior community, and my neighbor shoots me in the face with a flare.”
A spokesperson for Conifer LLC., which oversees Belmont Vistas, said in a statement.“We are aware of an altercation that occurred yesterday evening between two residents,”
Belmont Vistas is advertised as a calm, gated retreat for those 55 and older – but this week it became the scene of a violent showdown.
“Sometimes [the police] come because it’s a community for older people, but I’ve never thought it was that,” said resident Liliana Manrique, speaking to local outlet News 12.
The incident happened outside their homes at the Belmont Vistas Senior Apartments in West Babylon, New York, on Monday evening
Cutrone, who was rushed to hospital, is expected to make a full recovery 
