On Friday, October 14, 2011, Leonard Parara, a resident of Kearny, in Essex County, New Jersey, apparently snapped. He shot a co-worker at her desk at Exit Realty in Mountain Lakes, in Northern New Jersey. Parera next opened fire on police who responded to the scene. He was killed by police in the ensuing gun battle.

According to other employess, there was nothing to suggest anything other than a professional relationship between Parera and the victim, Christine Capone King. Kind was a cancer survivor and the office manager and receptionist at the office.

Apparently, Parera simply walked into the building and shot King while she sat at her desk. He next walked to the parking lot, called 911, saying that he had shot someone. He told the dispatcher that he was heavily armed and that if anyone approached him, he would "escalate" the situation. When police arrived, Parera fired three rounds before he was shot and killed. The investigation into this crim is on-going.

If Parera had survived the incident, he would most certainly be charged with murder. Of course it's possible that other factors may come to light during the police investigation. Perhaps there was some type of relationsip between Parera and the victim and this heinous act was one of passion or revenge. If so, a northern new jersey criminal defense attorney might attempt to negotiate with prosecutors for the lesser charge of manslaughter.