Man dead, 3 arrested following St. Lawrence County shooting

TOWN OF DEKALB, N.Y. (WWNY) - A Rossie man is dead and 3 people have been arrested following a shooting in St. Lawrence County early Tuesday morning.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to 580 County Route 18 in the town of DeKalb at approximately 2:30 a.m.

They were responding to a report of a burglary in progress with an unknown man inside the home.

When they arrived, officials said they found 40 year old Justin Massey dead, with a gunshot wound to his body.

Deputies later charged 29-year-old John Anson of 580 County Route 18, Richville, with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of weapon.

Also arrested were 51 year old Charles Anson of Richville -- John Anson’s father -- and 25 year old Kayla Briggs of DeKalb Junction.

Charles Anson was charged with 3 felony counts of reckless endangerment.

He and Briggs were each charged with felony counts of tampering with physical evidence.

The Ansons were both arraigned virtually by Hermon town court Wednesday morning. John Anson was sent to county jail without bail. His father was released under probation supervision.

Officials said Briggs would be issued an appearance ticket and released.

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New York State Police, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the North Country Crime Analysis Center, and the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office.

Jessica Keefer, a mother of 5 who lives nearby, was awake when police responded to the scene. She didn’t think much of the police presence at the home two doors down from hers.

“I went back to bed because there’s not really much of a surprise with police over there. I know I’ve personally called them twice,” she said.

Keefer claims that people who live here have trespassed on her property more than once, but that’s not the mother of five’s biggest concern.

“Last couple of weeks there’s been lots of gunfire, what seemed to be bombs set off,” she said. “There were times I wouldn’t even let my kids play outside.”

Keefer says looking back to when she woke up, there’s something she feels was missing.

“I did not, at any point, hear a gunshot,” she said. “I heard nothing.”

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