Shooting incident on Main Street New Year's Eve

These shots Thursday afternoon by avid Tupper Lake photographer Jim Lanthier show a combination of village police, state police and environmental conservation officers patrolling on foot various Junction streets around Fortunes' Hardware, well armed and on the look out for shooter Michael Valentine of Tupper Lake.

In a press release Monday Village Police Chief Eric Proulx reported that on December 31 at approximately 2 p.m., the Tupper Lake Police Department was dispatched by Franklin County 911 to an active shooter incident at Fortunes Hardware on Main Street.

Due to the nature of the call, the New York State Police were also dispatched to provide assistance. While responding, Officer Michael Vaillancourt was informed that a male subject, determined to be Michael Valentine, age 31 from Tupper Lake, had fired several rounds from a rifle in the parking lot of Fortunes Hardware store.

Four bullet holes are very visible in a front window of Fortunes' Hardware storage building across Main Street from the store. The photo below shows one of the plugged holes in the garage door at the end of the store. (McClelland photos)

Mr. Valentine then walked into the store with the rifle and engaged in conversation with the business co-owner Maurice before fleeing out a back door of the business.

Members from the Tupper Lake Police Department, the New York State Police and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation began a search of the area for the suspect. At approximately 2:40 p.m. the suspect was observed by Tupper Lake Police K-9 Sergeant Jordan Nason walking on Depot Street, directly behind Fortunes Hardware Store.

The suspect did not have the rifle in his possession and admitted he had concealed it in an area behind the Woodmen Tavern on Depot Street where it was subsequently recovered. The suspect was taken into custody by Sgt. Nason without incident.

There were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Further investigation determined the suspect believed people were following him and he had unlawfully entered a storage building owned by Fortunes Hardware, located across the street from the actual hardware store. The suspect stated he wanted to get the attention of an employee who he observed outside in the parking lot at the hardware store across the street. It was found that the suspect fired nine rounds from the rifle while in the storage building, four of which struck Fortunes Hardware store across the street and immediately adjacent to where the employee was standing. The other five rounds were shot into the storage building structure. No individuals, including the suspect, were injured as a result of this incident. The rifle used by the suspect was a Marlin 30-30 caliber lever action rifle. The investigation determined the firearm was reported stolen from Syracuse almost 35 years ago. How Mr. Valentine ended up with it is unknown this week.

The suspect was transported to the Tupper Lake Police Department and charged with the following: three counts reckless endangerment in the 1st degree, a D felony, two counts criminal use of a firearm in the 2nd degree, C felony, one count burglary in the 2nd degree, C felony, one count criminal possession of a weapon in the 3rd degree, D felony, one count criminal possession of stolen property in the 4th degree, E felony, two counts criminal mischief in the 4th degree, a misdemeanor. He was also charged with several misdemeanors by NYS Environmental Conservation Police.

The suspect was arraigned in village court in front of Judge Christopher Delair. He was remanded to the Franklin County Sheriff's Department on $20,000 bail / $40,000 bond.