Mill Basin Man Shoots Brighton Beach Woman In Head At Glitzy Waldorf-Astoria Wedding

A Mill Basin man fired off a shot during cocktail hour at a wedding in Manhattan’s prestigious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Sunday, grazing a Brighton Beach woman in the head, and injuring three others with debris from the ricochet.

Vladimir Gotlibovsky, 42, was reportedly fumbling through his pants pocket for a seating card around 7pm when he triggered the 9mm pistol, blowing a hole through his pants and the bullet striking the floor. From there it ricocheted, grazing the forehead of Maya Rafailovich, 55, of Brighton Beach. Three other guests were injured by chunks of marble, tile and glass that splattered during the ricochet.

No one was seriously injured, and all four guests were treated at area hospitals before being released, according to reports.

Gotlibovsky reportedly scrambled to get rid of the gun, handing it off to his brother, Felix, 51, who passed it to his wife and stored it at their house. When police arrived, they searched for the weapon and tracked it down to the home, where it was retrieved.

Both brothers were arrested at the scene. Vladimir was charged with reckless endangerment, assault and evidence tampering.

However, they have since been released. The Manhattan District Attorney has deferred charges pending further investigation.

It’s not the first time Gotlibovsky has been accused of mishandling his firearm, for which he has a proper permit, according to reports.

The New York Post notes that Gotlibovsky shot himself on Christmas Eve. He claims to carry the gun for protection in his liquor business, and in that incident he believed he was being followed by a car as he made his way to a cash deposit at the bank. He pulled over and took out the .380-caliber pistol from his pocket. When the car passed, he tried to put it back in his pants, and shot himself in the foot.

That gun and another was seized at the time and his permit suspended, but his right to carry was restored in March.

One acquaintances of Gotlibovsky told the Daily News that the man has a habit of carrying his gun where he shouldn’t.

An old business acquaintance said Vladimir Gotlibovsky frequently brings a gun to social gatherings, and usually drinks too much.

“Always, when he’s attending parties, he has a little gun in his pocket,” said Michael Rakhnyansky. “And he gets really drunk, and his mom yells at him.”

The paper reports that he’ll “likely duck charges in the wedding shooting.”

That decision has some questioning the man’s connections.

“Who do they know?” New York City gun lawyer Jerold Levine told the Daily News. “If the police think he did all these things, then why is the case being dropped so quickly?”