More than 150 family, friends, and public figures gathered to remember, honor and lay to rest on Saturday a Brooklyn security guard killed in last month’s Midtown mass shooting.
Aland Etienne, 46, was working as a security officer, employed by McLane Security, at 345 Park Ave. on July 28 when he was one of four people murdered in the rampage. He was stationed at the front desk of the high-profile building, the first face so many visitors see in this home to high-profile companies such as Blackstone and the NFL.
Etienne’s friends and family packed a room at the Guarino Funeral Home in Canarsie on Saturday for his funeral. A large Haitian contingent, many Canarsie residents, friends, and family from Florida and elsewhere attended. A flat screen hanging from the ceiling showed pictures of him and his family during the solemn, sorrowful service.
Mayor Eric Adams and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries paid their respects to the family, and Queens Assembly Member and mayoral candidate Zohran Mandami paid his respects and attended the funeral service.
The slain guard’s son, Ralandy Lucien Etienne, was among the pallbearers who helped carry Aland Etienne’s casket to the black hearse for the final journey in a life that brought him from Haiti to the United States.
He was engaged to Rachelle Paoli, with whom he had been together since teenagers and lived with for eight years, since his arrival in the United States.
Etienne was born in Haiti on May 3, 1979 and emigrated to the United States in July, the same month that his life ended, in 1997. The obituary that his family provided said he “found purpose and pride in his work, becoming a respected security officer in one of Manhattan’s most prominent buildings.”
Many described him as a Haitian immigrant who made his new home in Canarsie, with a large Haitian community. Some said he planned to marry and buy a house.
“Aland was Haitian immigrant who came here and contributed to this country in small and big ways,” 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said; Etienne was a member of the labor union. “He represents what immigrants do every single day in this country.”
The obituary described him as a “dreamer and storyteller at heart” who “loved music, laughter, meaningful conversation and good food.”
He is the father of four children, Naika Jean Charles, Christna Dwinelande Etienne. Ralandy Lucien Etinee, and Jareen Yennifer Lourdes Etienne.
The obituary noted that he had a” deep love of film and once aspired to become a filmmaker,” and that his younger brother, Smith Etienne, now “honors that legacy through his own work in cinema.”
Esther Valsaint, who grew up with him, attending the same high school and church, in Haiti, came to the funeral from Montreal. She called him her best friend who consoled her and helped with assignments.
“When I was late for school, he would pass by and take me to school on his bicycle,” she said. “He was the most amazing father his kids could have. He worked very hard to take care of them. He’s a father figure to his brothers, his sister and to me.”
Brooklyn State Senator Roxanne Persaud called the event a “tragedy,” while City Council Member Farah Louis said many New Yorkers, including those of Haitian descent, also were heartbroken.
“There’s a very large Haitian community from Canarsie to East Flatbush,” said Louis, whose father is Haitian. “The Haitian community is upset about the incident. There’s no justice. The shooter took his own life.”
She said there needs to be a conversation regarding mental health and called for stricter nationwide gun safety laws.
“We’ve been trying to reform gun control laws,” she said. “We need stronger gun control laws for the nation.”
Others said it’s important to provide technology, assistance and any type of possible support to help security guards.
Mike Gaynor, a former NYPD detective and licensed security guard instructor and security school director, said security guards get 24 hours of training in their first three months and then eight hours a year.
“Security guards protect people and property. They act in conjunction with the police,” he said. “They can make arrests.”
Gaynor said shootings like this are “rare, but it happens,” and that technology such as metal detectors can help, although that wouldn’t have made a difference in this case. Bulletproof vests can also provide an added layer of protection.
“Some security guards are armed and some aren’t,” Gaynor said, noting unarmed guards initially need to protect themselves as well as seeking to do the same for others. “If you’re an unarmed security guard, you’re supposed to take cover.”
Some talked of the need to do whatever can be done to protect buildings, workers and security guards.
“We want to make sure our frontline security officers feel fully supported when it comes to active shooter event,” Patreich said.” And we want to find ways to help keep experienced officers in the industry.”
Efforts have been made to help Etienne’s family. A GoFundMe campaign for the family, done with the help of 32BJ, has thus far raised close to $200,000. Patreich said Etienne had a small 401(k) and life insurance.
“He was a steady presence in a noisy world, measured, thoughtful and strong,” the obituary noted. “He carried himself with humility and honor, speaking volumes without raising his voice. His impact was felt not just in words, but in action, loyalty, and love.”
The obituary also described Etienne as someone who now is “a guardian in spirit, guiding with the same quite strength that defined his life.” The funeral service, including a violin prelude, psalms, invocations and memories of Aland Etienne, ended with music.
“It was emotional, very touching,” George Romero, a security officer who came here to offer his respects, said of the somber ceremony. “Everybody was strong through the whole service.”
