Attorney: New Fairfield Father Who Unknowingly Killed Son In 'Despair'

NEW FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - The father who unknowingly shot and killed his son in New Fairfield, Conn. last week is cooperating with a police investigation into the incident, Jeffrey Giuliano's lifelong friend and attorney said.

Police said Giuliano, an elementary school teacher, confronted a masked intruder near his home last Thursday around 1 a.m. only to later realize the masked man was his 15-year-old son Tyler.

WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reports

"He was in a state of shock and/or tremendous amount of grief and despair," attorney Gene Zingaro said of Jeffrey.

Zingaro said Giuliano and his wife are going out of their way to cooperate with the police investigation.

"They both gave oral statements at the scene. I know that for a fact because I was there," Zingaro told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

Giuliano is expected to take an extended leave of absence from his teaching job, said Zingaro.

Zingaro said the family may never know why their popular, well-adjusted son who was doing well in school lunged at his father with a knife in hand, or why he was apparently trying to break into his aunt's house.

"They have a hundred questions, they have a thousand questions. None of them will be answered," Zingaro told Schneidau.

Tyler was wearing a mask outside his aunt's house when she called for her brother Jeffrey - Tyler's father - for help.

Jeffrey Giuliano charged across the lawn with his personal gun in his hand and confronted the masked intruder before fatally shooting what turned out to be his son.

The medical examiner determined Tyler died from multiple gunshot wounds. No charges have been filed in the case.

The investigation into the shooting could be wrapped up by the end of the week, police said.