UPDATE 3: Oswego County Sheriff Reuel “Mo” Todd confirms that the victim of the alleged March 12 incident in Hastings was Victoria L. Steen. Police believe James Steen choked her on March 12 until she passed out. Todd said it appeared that the couple had spent at least some of the time since the March incident back together, though they were apart at the time of her death.
A couple of other details: The two victims had three children, though Todd did not have names, ages, or know which parent belonged to which child. He said a four year old boy was at home at the time of the shooting and ran from the home when it happened.
Todd said the couple was shot at the beginning of the incident and there were no other shots fired during the seven hour standoff. He said the victims did not appear to have any weapons of their own.
UPDATE 2: Police have now identified the victims. From the announcement: “The female victim is believed to be Victoria L. Steen, date of birth 11/20/80. The second victim is tentatively identified as Charles Carr, Jr., date of birth 4/09/89. Both subjects died of gunshot wounds.”
UPDATE: Steen had at least one other arrest, for an alleged domestic violence incident on March 12 of this year at his home.
Here’s what the Sheriff’s Department released then about the incident: “On 3/12/10 at 4:36 p.m., James H. Steen, Jr. 39, of 91 Hogsback Road, Central Square, NY, was arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor, and Menacing, Third Degree, a class B misdemeanor, stemming from the investigation into a domestic incident that occurred on 2/28/10 at his residence. He reportedly pushed a victim as the victim sat on a couch, restrained the victim by sitting on the victim and choked the victim causing the victim to black out, all in the presence of a minor. Mr. Steen was arraigned before Town of Hastings Court and remanded to the Oswego County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bail bond. He is scheduled to return to court on 3/17/10.”
Original story:
Two people are dead after police say a man held them hostage, shot them, and kept police away for seven hours.
The Oswego County Sheriff’s Department confirms that James H. Steen, 39, of Hastings, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He was arraigned before Pulaski village justice Judy Conger and sent to the Oswego County Correctional Facility without bail.
Police say the standoff began around noon. People reported a domestic dispute, then heard shots fired at the Villager Apartments, 9 Lewis St., Pulaski.
Steen kept police, including the Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT team, at bay until after 7:00 p.m., when he finally surrendered.
Inside the home, police found two bodies, shot to death.
The names of the victims have not been released.
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