1 Killed, 2 Wounded In Shooting At Westerly, R.I. Assisted-Living Complex
WESTERLY, R.I. (CBS/AP) — A shooting at a Rhode Island affordable housing complex for residents who need assisted living accommodations left one person dead and two others injured Thursday, state police said. The shooting happened Thursday morning in Westerly, a town along the Connecticut state line.
Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey said police got a call about a shooting at Babcock Village apartments, a 150-apartment residential building on Cross Street, just after 10:30 a.m. When local and state police arrived, they secured the building and put all residents in lockdown with a shelter in place.
Lacey said the shooting happened in the front office area of the building. Most residents were in their rooms at the time and did not realize the shooting had happened until police went door to door to instate the lockdown, he said.
The suspect, a 66-year-old male resident who police said was "known" to them, was identified through surveillance video over the course of approximately an hour, Lacey said. He said police found the suspect in his room, sent in a state police robot with a video camera and found the suspect dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
All three victims were female, Lacey said. One, a 47-year-old employee of the complex and Westerly resident, was found dead at the scene. Two others, a 38-year-old employee and a 66-year-old resident, were rushed to hospitals. The 38-year-old is in critical condition while the 66-year-old went through surgery and is in a stable condition, Lacey said.
The identities of the suspect and the victims have not been released. A motive and the suspect's relationship to the victims is unclear.
An earlier suspect was removed from the building in handcuffs for questioning, Lacey said, but he is no longer a suspect.
Police recovered one firearm at the scene. Though an investigation is ongoing, Lacey said there is no continuing danger to the public.
Reports of the gunfire prompted Westerly public schools, Westerly Hospital and some nearby business into lockdown as a precaution.
Police lifted the lockdown at around 12:45 p.m., though it was unclear why. The school district dismissed students early.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)