Shooting cases to get extra scrutiny

New London — Police Chief Brian Wright said Friday that police will partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to address three shooting incidents in the city within the past three weeks.

According to a news release, none of the incidents have resulted in injury. However, two incidents required schools to go into “secure building mode,” due to their proximity to the shooting. Schools, while in secure building mode, do not allow people in or out.

The first time a shooting occurred near a school was March 9 when police said they received a report of four juveniles shooting a gun in a parking lot in the area of 80 Ledge Road, less than a mile from the city’s high school campus.

And the second was Wednesday morning as police investigated reports of a man firing shots at a vehicle in the area of Hempstead and Franklin streets. Four New London schools nearby were asked to secure in place.

“Fortunately, no one was injured and we don’t take it for granted. We want to be proactive,” Wright said.

All three of the incidents are being given priority investigative status by the city police’s Investigative Services Division.

“Our citizens and visitors should not be subjected to such anxiety as they go about their daily lives and activities in our city,” Mayor Michael Passero said.

The release said Passero has authorized Wright to use whatever resources are necessary to address the shooting incidents in the city’s neighborhoods and “to identify and swiftly bring to justice these reckless individuals threatening the safety of our community.”

Anyone with information concerning these incidents is encouraged to contact the New London Police Department’s Detective Bureau at (860) 447-1481. Anonymous information may be submitted via the New London Tips 411 system by texting NLPDTip plus the information to Tip411.

“Our citizens and visitors should not be subjected to such anxiety as they go about their daily lives and activities in our city.”

NEW LONDON MAYOR MICHAEL PASSERO