Police tried to protect 17-year-old Danielle Dimedici from her boyfriend, who was accused of beating her with a baseball bat, abducting her at gunpoint and threatening to kill her family.
But in the end, the protection wasn't enough.Dimedici, who was about six months pregnant, was given a beeper to wear around her neck to alert authorities in case of more trouble, and patrols were posted around-the-clock outside her Brooklyn home. But when she was abducted last month, she never activated the alarm.
By Monday, the patrols had been cut down to hourly checks, and James Parker - a small-time drug dealer with a lengthy rap sheet - was able to force his way inside the row house where Dimedici lived with her grandmother.
Parker took Dimedici and her family hostage for two hours before shooting the teenager to death, wounding three other people and killing himself.
"This is a tragedy that never should have happened," said Eda McNally, a family friend. She said police knew that Parker had vowed, "I'll be back and kill the whole family."
Parker arrived at the apartment at 7:50 a.m., between police checks, and began terrorizing Dimedici and her family. Police were called and heard shots and screams.
By phone, officers tried to persuade Parker to surrender, but police said he was "completely irrational."
After police heard a woman scream "Please send an ambulance! He's shooting everyone!" they launched stun grenades into the apartment while heavily armed officers rushed up the stairs to the apartment and began breaking down the door, which was barricaded with a dresser.
They heard a final volley that they believe left the couple dead.
Dimedici's grandmother was shot in the head, her uncle in the chest. Both were in critical condition. The uncle's girlfriend was shot in the leg.
Six other people in the apartment, including four children, escaped serious injury.
Authorities said Dimedici was given adequate police protection.
"No matter what kind of coverage we had at that location, if this person is so bent on committing this kind of violence, he would have just waited for an opportune moment to do it," First Deputy Commissioner Tosano Simonetti said.
Authorities said they tried to protect Dimedici from Parker but found her uncooperative.