Queens, NY: Holding Flowers and Gun, Queens Man Kills His Ex-Wife and, Later, Himself

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
An armed man holding a bouquet of flowers walked into a Queens pharmacy on Thursday and shot and killed his ex-wife — who had an order of protection against him — and then went home and killed himself, the authorities said.

They said that the shooter, Alex Figueroa, 38, opened fire about 3:40 p.m. inside Crescent Chemists, a small pharmacy in a row of stores on 34th Avenue near 24th Street in Long Island City.

They said that Mr. Figueroa walked in carrying the flowers and started arguing with his ex-wife, Guimmia Villia, 32, a mother of two, before pulling out a gun and shooting her in the head in front of co-workers. He then fled.

Ms. Villia died a short time later at Mount Sinai Hospital Queens, the police said.

Officers searching for Mr. Figueroa went to his home, at 14-01 26th Avenue in Long Island City, where they found him dead, also shot in the head.

Records indicate that Ms. Villia and her ex-husband had a troubled history together. In December 2009, Mr. Figueroa was charged in a domestic violence case against her, but it was dismissed this year and the file sealed, the authorities said. Ms. Villia had a limited order of protection against Mr. Figueroa that expired on Jan. 25.

She also had a full order of protection against him, stemming from a domestic violence case in Nassau County, that was set to expire in April, a law enforcement official said. The details of that case were unclear Thursday night, the official said.

In New York criminal law, a full order of protection generally requires the defendant to stay away from the person and not try to communicate.