Police: Father Shoots Son, Self At Plymouth Home
PLYMOUTH (CBS) — A father shot his teenage son and then himself at the boy's home in Plymouth, police said Wednesday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports.
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Both are in critical condition.
Officers responded to emergency calls at the house on Jamie's Path off Route 80 at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
WBZ-TV's Bill Shields reports
Plymouth Police say 53-year-old Richard Panepinto shot his 15-year-old son, then himself.
Mark Miller, a neighbor, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 that Shawn Panepinto stumbled out of the house and onto Miller's front lawn.
He had been shot once in the abdomen.
"I just ran up and grabbed towels and a blanket to try to comfort Shawn, the 15-year-old, and we just tried to do the best we could to make sure that he was getting the help that he needed at the time," Miller said.
Both were rushed to the hospital. Police said the teen is expected to survive.
"According to his mom, he's really looking forward to getting back to school. He just wants to get back to school, get on with his life and be with his friends," Plymouth North High School Principal Kathleen McSweeney told the Patriot Ledger.
His father, who no longer lives in the home, is under police guard.
Richard Panepinto is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed assault with intent to murder, unlicensed possession of a firearm, and domestic assault and battery.
There's still no word yet what led to the shooting.
The family has a troubled history. Panepinto was arrested in 2007 for allegedly beating his wife with a portable television and a baseball bat. According to court records, his son, who was 10 years old at the time, witnessed the attack and called 911.
When officers responded to the home in 2007, they found Richard Panepinto standing in the kitichen, covered in blood. His wife, Janet was in a nearby bathroom, on the floor. She too was covered in blood.
After several months in jail, poilice say Janet Panepinto signed documents, allowing her husband to return home. Janet told the court, "I am in no way afraid of my husband and he has never harmed me of any kind before."
"We were very concerned about all the weapons they got out of the house back then. We heard there was like 20 weapons that they pulled out of the house back then, so I don't understand how he could get a gun again with his record and everything," said Bob Nash, a neighbor.
WBZ-TV's Bill Shields contributed to this report.
