Pet feud between Long Island seniors escalates in chilling flare gun assault

NBC New York ^ | 9/10/2025 | Pei-Sze Cheng

[simpson96]

With six stitches across his cheek, Richard Catrone’s face was still bloodied and bandaged when he spoke to NBC New York. The 67-year-old is in pain, but thankful he was not more seriously hurt when his neighbor fired a flare gun in his face.

The attack was captured on home security video. It shows Catrone walking his dog on a leash outside his apartment when 76-year-old Kathleen Schuman comes out of her apartment, a few doors down. Seconds later she fires the flare gun, hitting him in the face. The flare can be seen bouncing off his cheek as he holds his face in pain, shocked by what just happened. (snip)

Police arrested Schuman and charged her with assault. When NBC New York spoke to Catrone, his blood was still on the walkway in front of their apartments.

Neighbors of the two residents say the two have a longstanding feud, stemming from their pets. Schuman has a house cat and Catrone has a dog. (snip)

In court, Schuman pleaded not guilty. She has to stay away from Catrone as part of her release. The judge allowed her to return to the apartment one time with an officer to retrieve her belongings and her attorney told the judge she would live temporarily with a relative.

"I’ve lived in Manhattan. I’ve lived in San Francisco. I’ve lived in Boston and nothing ever happened to me," said Catrone. "I moved to Suffolk County, a senior community, and my neighbor shoots me in the face with a flare."

[ClearCase_guy]

[oldasrocks]

He is lucky it was not my wife shooting at him. She sports a 12 double barrel.

[Frank Drebin]

Oh look. A crazy as hell liberal cat lady. Check.

[V_TWIN]

Let the record reflect that Florida Man had nothing to do with this.

[packrat35]

He is lucky not to be more seriously hurt and she is ucky not to be in prison.

[niteowl77]

"I’ve lived in Manhattan. I’ve lived in San Francisco. I’ve lived in Boston and nothing ever happened to me," said Catrone. "I moved to Suffolk County, a senior community, and my neighbor shoots me in the face with a flare."

Some stupid with a flare gun...

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

He is lucky it was not my wife shooting at him. She sports a 12 double barrel.

Is she in the habit of breaking it out over a neighborhood pet dispute?

Pretty lame post.

[Dr. Sivana]

She is crazy, and should not have shot him with the flare gun, but he shouldn’t have given her grief for sitting on her own porch with her own cat. You have to read to he end of article to find out that he was giving her grief because her cat was outside with her.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

"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.'"

Is she crazy or just liberal?

[citizen]

Assuming the cat is not on the man’s property or some such...

If a cat can position itself where a dog sees it and barks...that’s not going to end.

The man should seek to block the dog’s line-of-sight to the cat, if possible.

[DJ MacWoW]

Oh look. A crazy as hell liberal cat lady. Check.

She sits outside with her cat, he says her cat "upsets" his dog so keep the cat inside. I think they both have isues.

[ConservativeMind]

I agree.

Those flare guns are not to be taken lightly.

[citizen]

Yes, it works that way, too.

[citizen]

She claimed I was the devil...

---

I might shoot the Devil...and hope not to miss!

[Frank Drebin]

One has more.

[DJ MacWoW]

Didn’t read the end of the article, did you. You have a lovely day! :-)

[TnTnTn]

My money is on both

[antidemoncrat]

Is it just me or does it seem the world is on the verge of an all out battle of good vs evil?

[Frank Drebin]

I did, and you as well, DJ!