Suspect in killing of West Haven barber remains behind bars

MILFORD — A New Haven man suspected in the killing of a West Haven barber remained behind bars Monday following an appearance at Superior Court attended by more than 20 friends and family of the victim, Carlos Gore Jr.

The suspect, 52-year-old Paul Burruss, was arrested May 11 on charges of felony murder, home invasion, first-degree robbery, and conspiracy to commit firstdegree robbery.

In court Tuesday, Burruss told Judge Peter

Brown he is trying to hire a lawyer, and agreed to put off a decision about whether to waive a probable cause hearing, a procedural requirement in murder cases.

Burruss is scheduled to return to court June 8.

Outside the courthouse Tuesday, Gore’s mother, Shaniequa Brown, said the six months since her son’s death hasn’t made dealing with it any easier for those who knew him.

“It’s a struggle every day,” she said while wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Gore.

“We got robbed. He’s done a lot in his life, more than many people would do in their lifetime. However, there could have been more,” she said.

“You robbed him,” Brown said of Burruss. “You robbed us.”

According to an arrest warrant written by West Haven Police Detective Steven Faughnan, cops were sent to the Platt Avenue home where Gore lived with several others about 3 a.m. Dec. 16, 2021.

They arrived to find Gore lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the neck. He died soon after despite the efforts of police, firefighters, and paramedics.

One of the residents told police that Gore had arrived about 1 a.m. and the two had talked briefly before Gore later appeared in the resident’s bedroom doorway with a masked assailant holding a gun to his throat. Another masked suspect appeared soon after.

The witness later told police that he heard the sound of a digital safe Gore kept money in opening in another room, then what sounded like a muffled gunshot, after which Gore came into his bedroom holding his neck and bleeding. The witness told police marijuana was also stolen from the residence.

Another witness said they had attended a poker game with Gore earlier that night in Hamden. The witness told police he suspected Burruss, who he knew as “Cool,” was involved in the shooting.

Police canvassed the area for surveillance footage and noticed a white Audi SUV going to and from the home at the time of the homicide.

They later learned Burruss drove one — and that the vehicle’s movements as depicted on the surveillance footage matched his phone’s GPS data, which detectives obtained through a search warrant.

Detectives also got a search warrant for the

Audi and sent 11 samples from vehicle to be tested for gunshot residue. Nine came back positive, according to the warrant, which also states a lawyer contacted police saying Burruss did not want to talk to police.