SUNY Empire Alumnus killed in weekend shooting near Syracuse

Lt. Michael Hoosock ’16, ’17, a long-time deputy with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, was killed in a shooting on Sunday, April 14, in the suburbs of Syracuse. 

Hoosock, a public servant since he was a teenager, had been a member of the sheriff’s department for 16 years and served as the county’s bomb squad commander. He leaves behind his wife and three young children.

In addition, Hoosock was a volunteer firefighter for the Moyers Corners Fire Department, where he had held numerous roles, including lieutenant, captain, and battalion chief. He was also a paramedic for AMR Central and a volunteer firefighter for the Manlius Fire Department.

Hoosock received his associate degree in community and human services from Empire State University. He graduated from SUNY Empire a year later in 2017 with a BPS in public affairs.

“Michael was a dedicated and motivated student, maintaining a high GPA while being deeply involved in his work, family, and volunteer firefighting,” says Nadine Fernandez, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology and sociology who served as Hoosock’s mentor. “Like many students, he came to SUNY Empire with a lot of transcript credits and college-level learning from his work life, which he drew on to successfully request 20 advanced-level prior learning credits. To his academic work he brought an attention to detail, clear organizational abilities, and solid writing and communication skills. It was always a pleasure to meet with him, and a joy to help him achieve his educational goals. I am deeply saddened by this tragedy.”

John Kane ’17, president of SUNY Empire's Alumni Student Federation Board of Governors, described Hoosock as a “tremendous human being.”

“There are thousands of people hurting in central New York right now,” says Kane, a retired deputy chief. “He dedicated his entire life to helping others. He really touched a lot of lives. Everyone who worked with Mike liked him, and we’re all going to miss him.”

Hoosock was responding to a call that started with a traffic violation and ended up in a hail of gunfire outside a house in Liverpool, a suburb of Salina. Also killed in the shooting was Michael Jensen, a police officer for the city of Syracuse, and the suspect, Christopher Murphy.

Several fundraisers have been launched to benefit the families of the fallen officers. A fundraiser through the website Fund the First will donate 100% of proceeds to the families. Upstate University Hospital is selling t-shirts with the phrase "Fallen but not Forgotten" that will also benefit both families.