Linden murder-suicide: Family among city’s tight-knit Polish community
LINDEN – "Nobody will really know why."
That's what Mayor Derek Armstead said about the reason a city man fatally shot his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself Sunday morning.
"We're not sure what happened because when these things happen, all kinds of rumors swirl. All we know is that whatever happened, it really shouldn't have happened. Two young people to lose their lives like this, it's a tragic, tragic loss," Armstead said Monday. “When things like this happen, people are left trying to figure out why, but nobody will really know why. Nobody will know except for them, and they are gone."
The family was identified Monday as Krzysztof Nieroda, 41, Justyna Nieroda, 41, and Natalia Nieroda, 13, who were pronounced dead at the scene. Sebastian Nieroda, 14, was found alive in critical condition and was taken to University Hospital in Newark where he later died, according to the Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Linden Police Chief David Hart.
A GoFundMe.com page called Justyna, Sebastian and Natalia Nieroda was created Tuesday by Julita Laskowska of Rahway, Justyna's sister for funeral and memorial expenses for the three family members. The page which features a photo of Justyna Nieroda and her two children, has raised more than $19,000 of the $50,000 goal as of Wednesday morning.
"Justyna was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, and friend to all. I am lucky to have called her my sister because she was caring, thoughtful, honest, and full of life! Sebastian and Natalia brought so much joy to everyone around them and had a bright future ahead of them. I will always cherish them and the beautiful memories will live through us forever," the page states.
Funeral arrangements will be announced on the page.
Linden police responded around 9:30 a.m. Sunday to 18 Chatham Place to conduct a welfare check after neighbors reported hearing gunshots.
A joint investigation conducted by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Linden Police Department revealed that during the morning, Krzysztof Nieroda shot his wife, son and daughter, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Nieroda then called a family member to say he had shot and killed his wife and children, according to the prosecutor’s office. Nieroda proceeded to kill himself with a single gunshot to the head, and the weapon was in his hand when authorities arrived, the prosecutor’s office said.
“In tragedies of this magnitude, there are no words that can heal, nor explanations that can serve to make sense of them to the public. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of these victims and to the Linden community as a whole in the wake of this horrible event," Daniel said in a statement.
"It is difficult to find the words to describe the impact a tragedy like this has on our community, particularly for the families, our children, and first responders," Hart said in a statement. "We are not alone in our grief; each of us has a shared responsibility to be there for our loved ones as we mourn the loss of our friends and neighbors. If you or someone you know may be suffering, please don't hesitate to ask for help before a crisis occurs."
Children were Linden middle school students
The mayor said the first priority moving forward is providing counseling for Linden Public Schools students.
"They (children) are the ones who I think have the most difficult time processing something like this, especially the death of a child," Armstead said, adding the slain children were exceptional academically.
The mayor said the siblings were students at McManus Middle School. Sebastian Nieroda was in eighth grade and Natalia Nieroda in seventh grade.
Interim Superintendent of Schools Rocco Tomazic said in a letter to the school community Monday that "once again" he had the "sad duty" to report on tragic events.
"Two of our students died yesterday at their home in Linden," Tomazic wrote. "We in the Linden Public Schools look to ease the pain of our students and staff. The district’s crisis response plan has been activated to support students and staff at McManus Middle School, as well as School #10 where the two students previously attended elementary school."
Tomazic said that beginning Tuesday and going forward, grief counselors will be available in schools to help process this loss.
"The death of two young lives affects us all," the superintendent said. "But we are determined, now more than ever, that we will do all that is possible to help our students and staff process the impact of this tragic event and to deal with the pain. Any student death affects us all. But we will never become so accustomed to loss like this that we can’t respond with empathy, understanding and care. We will fully support each other during these difficult times. Let us all work together towards that end."
"It's terrible," said Armstead who could not recall a similar tragedy during his time in public office. Armstead served on the City Council for more than 20 years and this year began his third term as mayor.
More:Shooting deaths of two NJ politicians reignite debate over whether new gun law works
Family, friends ask why
Friends are sending condolences and asking, “Why?” on Krzysztof Nieroda’s Facebook page. His sister listed the family members’ nicknames – "Justynka", "Sebus", "Natalcia" and "Krzys" with a candle on her page.
Justyna Nieroda’s sister used a matching tattoo photo of a rose with the word "family" on her page. She and Justyna share the same photo as profile pictures now.
“Krzysiek, I will always ask this question, Why???????,” said a post by Marcin Lis. “R.I.P always you will remain in my memory and heart. My deepest condolences to the families.”
“I have no words to explain the sorrow I feel right now,” said Adam Zdeb. “Those 4 beautiful lives were cut down way too short. May they all rest in Peace.”
“Sympathy,” said Szezepan Gabryel. “It’s hard to understand.”
Polish community
The condolences on social media mostly come in Polish, though many in the community have lived here for generations.
“Wyrazy współczucia dla całej rodziny,” says one, which translates to “condolences to the whole family.”
The Polish community around Linden is large and tight-knit, and there are delis, bakeries, food stores and numerous cultural celebrations.
In 2021, the President of Poland, Andrezj Duda, and his wife visited the city after an invitation from Armstead. Every year, there is a large contingent that participates in the General Pulaski Parade in New York City.
According to social media, Krzysztof and Justyna Nieroda were together more than 16 years. Public records show they purchased their home on Chatham Place in November 2007. It’s a three-bedroom, one-bath, single-family built in 1927.
Council Vice President Michele Yamakaitis said the children took religious classes at St. Theresa of Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic Church, in Linden.
The couple recently had a night out at a Cranford restaurant, with Nieroda posting on social media "date time … with me and my beautiful wife."
According to his Facebook page, Nieroda graduated from Linden High School. He was an electrician, according to his LinkedIn Page.
Justyna Nieroda had been a hairstylist for many years at Prestige European Salon of Beauty in Rahway, according to a source. Photos of her at the salon appear on her Facebook page.
The mayor said he has not yet heard anything about funeral arrangements.
"We'll definitely try to have some outreach to the family to try to make some sense of this whole thing and try to help them out with the funeral arrangements," Armstead said. "Who is going to take care of the funeral, the parents are dead, the children are dead, who is going to do that. It's a sad day, sad day here in the city."
Resources
The following is a list of free resources available to New Jersey residents experiencing thoughts of suicidality or mental health crisis.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: U.S. Residents can now call or text 988 to connect with suicide prevention specialists or access mental health resource information.
NJ Suicide Prevention Hopeline: Specialists are available for confidential telephone counseling and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1-855-654-6735.
NJ Mental Health Cares: NJ Mental Health Cares is New Jersey's behavioral health information and referral service. Behavioral care specialists are available from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Friday. 866-202-HELP.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Linden murder-suicide: Family among tight-knit Polish community
