An elderly man has died after shooting himself in the head at the gravesite of his late wife inside St. John Cemetery in Middle Village on Friday afternoon, according to police.
Law enforcement sources said the incident occurred at about 3:03 p.m. on Jan. 27 inside the burial grounds off the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and 80th Street.
According to the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, a groundskeeper heard a gunshot go off inside the burial grounds and went to investigate. Moments later, the worker found an 83-year-old man — whom the New York Daily News identified as Robert Gallo — lying near a gravestone with a gunshot wound to his head.
Police said the grave belongs to Gallo’s wife. The diocese indicated that cemetery workers recognized Gallo from his frequent visits to the grave.
A .22-caliber gun was recovered from the scene.
Officers from the 104th Precinct and EMS units responded to the incident. Gallo was brought to Elmhurst Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
