Backyard gunshots lead to arrest

VILLAGE OF LIVERPOOL – Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, May 5, the Onondaga County 911 Center received a call reporting that a man was firing a gun in his yard. One of the rounds strruck the caller’s house.
Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Liverpool Police Department officers arrived at the suspect’s home at 1205 Oswego St, near the corner of Meyers Road.
While the LPD officers handled traffic control, deputies attempted to make contact with the man, but he declined to respond. When he refused to exit the house, deputies determined that the man was unlikely to comply.
“The situation could have been dangerous, so 911 was notified to make a reverse call to the neighbors,” said Sheriff’s Office public information Officer Tom Newton.
The Onondaga County Swat Unit was activated and responded. Sheriff’s negotiators contacted the man and stayed on the phone with him during the evening.
“It was evident that the man was not going to leave his residence so the Swat Unit made entry to the house after a warrant was issued by a judge,” Newton said.
Deputies apprehended the man about 1 a.m. Saturday.
He was identified as Luigi Croce, 45, of 1205 Oswego St. in Liverpool. He was charged with five felonies and one misdemeanor, including first degree reckless endangerment, third degree criminal possession of a weapon and third degree criminal mischief.
On Saturday, Croce was still being held at the Corbett Justice Center in Syracuse.
According to his LinkedIn account, Croce is a digital marketing consultant and owner of Croce Properties, managing rental properties. He is a graduate of the University of Rochester and of the U.S. Marine Corps Institute.