A man fatally shoots his wife 'while working on his handgun'

Ashley Rosenbrock. Photo / Facebook

Grief had been a frequent visitor to the home of Ashley and Eric Rosenbrock, years before a gunshot roared in their snowpacked Upstate New York home.

Their 1-year-old daughter Vivienne died of sepsis pneumonia, and in an instant, their daughter Madie lost her sister.

A year later, in 2014, Ashley channelled pain into a request that touched thousands - pour kindness into the world.

But Friday marked a new and unspeakable tragedy for the family. Eric Rosenbrock, 35, was "performing maintenance" on his handgun at their Corinth home when he discharged the weapon, authorities later said, and a round struck Ashley.

The mother-of-three later died at a hospital. She was 34.

Eric Rosenbrock has cooperated with authorities, the Post Star reported. An autopsy at the weekend produced results "consistent with the information and evidence that has been discovered to this point in the investigation," the New York State Police said in a statement. The Saratoga County District Attorney's Office is assisting in the ongoing investigation.

The district attorney and police did not return a request for comment about any pending legal action. It is unclear how the shooting unfolded or if Rosenbrock, a junior high school science teacher, will face any charges related to negligent use of a firearm or manslaughter.

"Ashley left us to begin a journey we are devastated by. Our only saving grace is that she is with her girl again," her mother Lorraine Anderson Tefft wrote in an obituary for the Post Star. "Wife, Mama, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, Godmother, business owner . . . oh, the lives she has touched."

Ashley sold handbags and children's accessories from home, neighbours told the New York Times, and the couple were in the middle of a construction project to add bedrooms for their growing family.

Ashley Rosenbrock a Corinth, NY wife is shot dead after a gun her husband, Eric was cleaning is discharged and hitting her. Investigation continues. https://t.co/XCrJw1F3t1

— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) November 17, 2018

Corinth, a village of 6000 near the Adirondack mountains, has been rocked by the tragedy.

Lake George Junior-Senior High School, where Rosenbrock teaches, cautioned of a potential ripple effect of trauma and marshalled grief counsellors days before Thanksgiving.

"A sudden loss like this can have a profound effect on family, friends, colleagues, parents, and students. It is important that we recognise this loss and support each other through this time," the school said in a statement. Classes were scheduled to begin as normal today.

Unintentional gunfire caused more than 200 fatalities in 2015, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported, with most occurring both inside a home and with a handgun. That was less than 1 per cent of gun deaths across 27 states, the CDC said.

The Corinth shooting death occurred at 7 Raymond St. Thursday at about 10:30 pm. Victim Ashley Rosenbrock was taken to Saratoga Hospital and pronounced dead. Autopsy results are consistent with information and evidence discovered, State Police said Saturday pic.twitter.com/rk77tsKhW5

— Times Union (@timesunion) November 17, 2018

Ashley's tribute to her infant daughter went viral after she created a Facebook page called "Vivienne's RAOK" - random act of kindness - to spur moments of charity. The page provided cards to print out and leave with gifts like snacks placed on a co-worker's desk or a gift card taped to a gas pump.

"It was just a way for me to say, 'Don't focus on what's missing. Live your life to the fullest,' " she told the Post Star.

The effort has morphed into charity drives and a fun run, and the page remains active, along with memories of Vivienne on her personal Facebook page.

In one photo, the Rosenbrock children pose on a beach. Someone had carved "Vivienne" into wet sand in a tribute to a loved one gone too soon.