"My wife has been cheating on me, and I just shot her dead. Please come arrest me. . . I'm sorry."
Twenty-nine-year-old John Tassinari spoke those chilling words to an Abington, Massachusetts police dispatcher last Tuesday evening, just moments after he shot his wife, 29-year-old Barbara Tassinari, over a dozen times, in what police have described as a jealous rage.
According to police, the couple, who married in November 2004, had no history of trouble with the law.
Tassinari has been described in the press as a science prodigy who excelled in high school and went on to graduate from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Following graduation, he became an engineer in his father’s machine firm.
Barbara graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree. From there, she went to work for her brother’s heating and air-conditioning company in Rockland. She also spent a lot of time volunteering at the Quincy Animal Shelter.
The couple had a one-year-old child together, and Barbara had a 10-year-old son from a pervious relationship.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Barbara's friends and family members have described Tassinari as an obsessive and controlling person who managed every aspect of his wife's life.
On the evening of the April 22 shooting, Barbara spent time chatting with friends and family at her sister's house. Around 9:45 p.m., Tassinari, who had reportedly been drinking, called and accused Barbara of cheating on him. After making the accusation, Tassinari allegedly demanded that she immediately come home.
Just 15 minutes later Barbara was dead. Police say Tassinari shot her dead in the driveway of their home, shooting her over a dozen times with both a .45-caliber and a .40-caliber handgun.
After placing the 9-1-1 call, Tassinari walked back outside, where he was greeted by his brother-in-law, Francis Scolaro, 44. Scolaro, who lived on the same street, had heard the shots and came running over. "You killed my sister!" Scolaro screamed as he pointed his own .32-caliber handgun at Tassinari's head.
Just as Scolaro forced Tassinari to the ground, the gun aimed at the back of his head, an Abington police officer arrived on the scene and ordered him to drop his weapon. Forcing back his anger, Scolaro complied, averting another tragedy for his family.
Police arrested Tassinari for suspicion of murder and took him into custody. Scolaro was not charged in relation to the incident. However, police did confiscate his handgun.
In the aftermath of the shooting, several media outlets have been quick to focus on Tassinari's MySpace profile, where he describes his favorite weapons in a recent blog. In the "About Me" section of the profile, he wrote:
"I'm an engineer, a firearms safety instructor, and a proud parent. Besides my family, I love cars, guns, motorcycles, vodka, and A/V equipment. As a Virgo, I get too wrapped up in the small details of life, and Barbara helps me remember to step back and enjoy it all. Thanks honey."
The background image on the profile has been described as a woman in bondage, but in actuality it is a woman in leather lingerie standing against a wall. Reporters apparently assumed it was a bondage image after reading the heading on Tassinari's page, which reads, "Rope is the hottest lingerie."
In reality, Tassinari's love of guns and scantly glad women had nothing to do with his wife's death. The gun was a convenient weapon to use; however, had he not had access to one, it is doubtful things would have turned out differently. You don't need a license to purchase a knife, and when all else fails, he still had his bare hands.
When are we going to stop making excuses for criminals and accept the fact that people do bad things, regardless of who they are or what their interests are? When are reporters going to start reporting the "truth," instead of focusing on unrelated issues simply to boost readership? Wake up America!
Tassinari has pled not guilty in his wife's shooting. He is being held without bond pending a probable-cause hearing, which has been scheduled for May 14.
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