Published Tuesday, April 20, 1999 "Oh my goodness, what a day it has been," said Cindy Brown, 298 Malleable. She and neighbor Nell Dawson sat Monday night next to stacks of pizza, watching television and not knowing when they could go home. Both women have lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years.
"It's just been too much. It's quite a shock when you are sitting at your kitchen table and you hear a gunshot," Mrs. Brown said.
"I froze," added Ms. Dawson, who had returned home from a meeting at 3 p.m. to find the street blocked off. "I didn't know whether to leave or hit the floor."
Police were telling residents to get to safe places in their homes, so Ms. Dawson left for another meeting, she said.
While the women were inside the police substation, Mrs. Brown's husband, Frank Sr., stood outside waiting in the cool night air. He had been working in his garage when he was rushed into his home by police and told to stay inside.
"The cops were all over," he said. "It's like the shooting at the OK Corral."
Brown said he had no idea when they were going to be allowed to go home. "I don't know why the hell it's taking them so long," he said.
Mrs. Brown, however, was impressed by efforts of the police to keep the neighbors safe.
"It made me feel OK even though we've been inconvenienced," she said.
The Browns and Ms. Dawson said they did not know very much about Kozen or, for that matter, about his wife, Bernadette. If anything, they said, the Kozens kept to themselves.
"It's scary that somebody could live so close to you and do something like this," Mrs. Brown said. "It's scary."
