New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Cops: City man, 30, killed in Hazel St. shooting
23rd homicide of the year; family ‘devastated’
NEW HAVEN — A 30-year-old city resident, a father of two children with a third on the way, was shot and killed Sunday, according to New
Haven police.
Officers responded to Hazel Street between its intersections with Shelton and Dixwell avenues at roughly 3:55 p.m. Sunday for a ShotSpotter alert and 911 calls regarding gunfire, Officer Scott Shumway said in an email.
“Responding officers located a 30-year-old New Haven man who had been struck by gunfire. American Medical Response transported the victim to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” said Shumway.
Shumway subsequently identified the slain man as Melvin Stanley.
Ty Sullivan, Stanley’s uncle and the basketball coach at West Haven High School, said Monday that his nephew was a “bright and intelligent” young man — tech-savvy before it was common, interested in building things.
Sullivan said he often was surprised by how Stanley’s mind worked — he “thought outside the box,” showing insight beyond his years.
Stanley had two children with his partner, with a third on the way — they just had a gender reveal party — Sullivan said.
“We’re devastated (as a family),” said Sullivan.
Stanley was interested in going into a trade, par
ticularly carpentry, Sullivan said. But he had trouble finding his way into the field.
Stanley’s life had been waylaid by mistakes, Sullivan said, including time in juvenile detention and jail. He previously was convicted of first-degree assault, among other offenses, according to state judicial records.
It was difficult for him to get back on a prosperous path after that, Sullivan said — resources for helping people returning from prison are limited; people are often left to fall back on “what they know” in life.
Sullivan noted the regularity of this sort of situation.
It’s common to open up the paper and read about a homicide victim, Sullivan said — the issue had been impacting people’s lives in the community for decades. It was part of his
childhood; it’s been part of his adulthood as an educator and mentor.
“It’s something we see every day,” said Sullivan. “This one hits different because it’s my family, but
there’s an ongoing problem in our community that we have to figure out how to fix.”
He called for greater opportunities and investment in the lives of children.
“This is just something our community is plagued with,” said Sullivan. “And we need to find some way of leveling the playing field.”
Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said Monday that police believe the shooting was not random, but it was too early in the investigative process to determine whether Stanley was specifically targeted.
Officers in the area heard two shots, Dominguez said. Among other aspects of the case, police seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation, she said.
Dominguez noted Stanley had been incarcerated in the past and was shot in Hamden in 2015.
“Right now, it’s the very early stages of the investigation. We do believe that, having the vehicle and some other information, we will be able to understand more of the circumstances of what it was,” said Dominguez.
Stanley was the 23rd homicide victim of the year in New Haven.
Alfreda Youmans, Jeffery Dotson, Jorge Osorio-Caballero, Marquis Winfrey, Joseph Mattei, Kevin Jiang, Angel Rodriguez, Dwaneia Turner, Alessia Mesquita, Jack Hopeton, Tashawn Brown, Mariyah Inthirath, Adrian Barwise, Miguel Ramos, Richard Whitaker Jr., Ciera Jones, Kevan Bonilla, Kevin Mills, Tyshaun
Hargrove, Zaire Luciano, Luis Fernando Gonzalez-Sandoz and Trequon Lawrence were killed in the city to date in 2021.
Lawrence, the most recent prior homicide victim, was killed Sept. 8.
There had been 17 homicides in the city as of Oct. 10 last year.
Shumway asked that any witnesses who have not yet spoken with the department contact the New Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division at 203-946-6304.
He said callers may remain anonymous or submit tips anonymously by calling 866-888-TIPS (8477), or texting “NHPD” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).