7 dead in 5 days during series of Conn. shootings

A series of shootings over a five-day period in eight Connecticut communities has left seven people dead and two others wounded, according to officials.

The unrelated incidents throughout the state come as gun violence and other types of violent crime have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the number of homicides recorded in Connecticut jumped to 108, up from 77 the previous year, according to data from the FBI.

Here’s how the recent wave of shootings in Connecticut unfolded.

Hartford

The deadly shootings began in the afternoon on March 16, when police in Hartford responded to a home on Irving Street for reported gunfire around 1 p.m. There police found a woman in her 60s with a gunshot wound. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition, but died several days later, according to police.

Authorities have identified the woman as 62-yearold city resident Cynthia Reynolds. Police have said they do not believe Reynolds was the intended target of the shooting.

Farmington

Hours after the shooting in Hartford, police in Farmington said they were called to the Unionville section of town around 11:15 p.m. March 16 when a shooting was reported inside a home on Sunset Terrace.

A woman told police she’d been awakened by her brother’s voice moments before he shot her fiance, Jorge Tejada Camacho, according to an arrest warrant.

The woman told police her brother, Deodre Dominique Linder, had called out “I know what you did” to Camacho the moment before he pulled the trigger, according to the arrest warrant.

It was not clear from the document what he was referring to, but the woman told police Camacho had given Linder two weeks to either move out or get a job.

Police said Linder fled the scene, but was apprehended by officers soon afterward on Interstate 84 later. He has been charged with murder along with other offenses related to allegedly possessing and firing a gun during the incident. Police said the woman’s children were also present in another room of the home when the shooting occurred.

Branford

Local police were called to the Branford Motel on East Main Street during the early-morning hours of March 17 for a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they found the shooter and an armed man in one of the rooms with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

The man was later pronounced dead. Police have identified him as 39-yearold New Haven resident Lamar Woodhouse.

Branford police said they obtained warrants for vehicles and two rooms in the motel involved in the shooting. “Detectives are working in collaboration with the Office of the New Haven Chief State’s Attorney and the investigation will determine if charges will be forthcoming,” the department said in its most recent update on the case Monday morning.

Bridgeport

On Saturday, police in Bridgeport responded to a call for a person shot in the 1000 block of Stratford Avenue. When officers arrived, they found 43year-old city resident Fredrick Shelby “with at least one gunshot wound,” a city spokesman said.

Shelby was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they were investigating the motive behind the shooting.

East Hartford

Just before 2 a.m. Saturday, East Hartford police responded to Chapel Street near East Main Street after a report of gunfire.

When they arrived, they found 36-year-old Hartford resident Michael Manson unresponsive in a vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to police.

A 31-year-old woman from Bristol was also located at the scene with a gunshot wound to her arm. She was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, police said.

Milford

In Milford, officers were called to the 100 block of Housatonic Avenue around 10 a.m. Sunday after a report of shots fired. Police said they found a man outside the home with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Police allege the man was shot by a relative in an argument that started over a greenhouse in the backyard. A .38-caliber revolver with two spent casings was located at the scene, according to police.

Authorities charged the alleged shooter, 60-year-old Eric Stoughton, with attempted murder, firstdegree assault, attempted first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and illegal discharge of a firearm. He was arraigned on the charges Monday, and ordered to surrender any guns he has and stay away from the victim if he is released.

Court records show Stoughton remains in custody on $750,000 bond.

New Haven

Around 9 p.m. Sunday, New Haven police were called to Orchard Place in the city’s Dixwell neighborhood after a caller reported a person had been shot.

When officers arrived, they found a 17-year-old city resident who had been wounded, according to police. The teen was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the department said.

The fatal shooting marked the Elm City’s second homicide of the year.

Meriden

In Meriden, police were dispatched to the Atrium condominium and apartment complex on East Main Street around 9:25 p.m. Sunday night after multiple calls reported gunfire.

When police arrived, they said they found a 37-year-old woman, lying “in the entryway driveway to the complex,” Meriden police said in a statement.

“Investigation has determined that there had been an unknown number of shots fired in the immediate area and there is an active investigation ongoing at this time; however, it is too early to determine any of circumstances surrounding this incident,” the police statement said. “As the investigation progresses and as further details are learned, additional information will be released accordingly.”

Police said the death has been ruled a homicide, and a suspect has been identified in the case.