Dennis John Malloosseril of Hawthorne, New Jersey, was a director at St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church, in Clifton, New Jersey. Malloosseril was shot as he tried to intervene in a slaying that took place in the church on Sunday, November 23, 2008.NY Daily News: New Jersey man dies trying to stop husband from shooting... (November 24, 2008)
Joseph Pallipurath opened fire in the church and killed his estranged wife Reshma James. After the shooting, Pallipurath escaped the scene of the crime and police captured him in Georgia, just before midnight on November 24, 2008.NY Daily News: Cops Nab New Jersey Church Shooter Joseph Pallipurath in Georgia (November 25, 2008) Malloosseril was critically injured during the shooting and died later on the same day.NorthJersey.com: Father Urges Son to Turn Himself In (November 24, 2008)