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Remembering victim of Niagara Metals shooting

Posted at 6:09 PM, Jun 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-07 18:09:25-04

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jennifer Bari says the hardest thing she had to do was tell her daughter that something happened to her father.

“And to hear her screams, as a parent I can’t take the pain away from her,” she said.

Bari says early Thursday, she received a call that her daughter’s father, 36 year-old Patrick DeLuca had been shot at work.

It was around 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning police in Niagara Falls responded to a shooting at Niagara Metals in Niagara Falls. DeLuca’s family says they have learned their loved one was shot at point-blank range in the back of his head. The suspected shooter, 35-year-old Matthew Figura Jr. drove off, and was later caught in Wyoming County. He’s been charged with murder.

“He really worked so hard to turn his life around for our little girl. Worked so hard to be such a great dad,” she said of her friend Patrick.

Bari, speaking on behalf of the family says she and DeLuca were no longer a couple, but did a lot of co-parenting. She says the entire DeLuca family is numb.

“The worst moment of my life,” she said.

DeLuca’s family says he had been working at Niagara Metals as a welder about two years. They say he loved his job and the people he worked with.

“He felt appreciated,” Bari said. “Enjoyed doing his job.”

At this point, Niagara Falls Police have no motive and have released little details about the case. Family says Figura Jr. was a recent hire at Niagara Metals.

A Go Fund Me account has been set up for his daughter.

DeLuca’s services will be Wednesday and Thursday.