Southington Man Suspected Of Firing At Church, Other Properties

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A 74-year-old man from the Plantsville section of Southington was in custody Monday morning in connection with a weekend shooting spree involving several Southington properties, including a church, police said.

The man is a suspect in other area shooting incidents in the area, according to police.

The wild sequence in Southington involving Douglas Floyd Gollnick began to unravel Sunday at 6:43 p.m., when Southington police received a call from a citizen at 2344 Meriden-Waterbury Road, reporting 16 shots fired at the residence, according to an incident report.

At 7:13 p.m., police received a call from a resident at 376 North Star Drive reporting four-to-five shots fired at the property, according to an incident report.

At at 7:39 pm, police received an alarm call from Hartford HealthCare Group at 70 Meriden Ave. reporting a "glass break," according to an incident report.

Shots fired at a fourth location, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints campus at 750 Meriden- Waterbury Turnpike, was reported at 8:54 p.m., by a church member, and police said the incident had taken place earlier in the day.

As officers arrived at Hartford HealthCare to investigate the alarm, they discovered a black Chevrolet Silverado parked behind the office and saw a man wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue jeans, matching the description of a suspect in an earlier shooting incident in Bristol, according a news release. Officers then saw the man, standing outside the vehicle with the passenger side door open, holding what they called a "long rifle," according to a news release.

As officers attempted to establish a perimeter around the building, shots were heard from the suspect's location, behind the building, according to a news release.

Officers then saw the man drive the black Silverado around the building and onto Meriden Avenue, according to a news release.

From there, a pursuit spilled south onto Old Turnpike Road and continued south on Interstate-691, police said.

Southington, Meriden and Middletown police, along with state police, pursued the suspect vehicle into Middletown and onto Route 66, where Middletown police were able to deploy stop sticks, according to a news release. The Silverado eventually came to a stop on the Arrigoni Bridge, police said.

While taking Gollnick into custody, officers seized a .22-cal "long rifle" from the front passenger seat, according to a news release.

In Southington, the homes at 2344 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike and 376 North Star Drive were occupied at the time of the shootings, but no injuries were reported, police said.

The crash sent Gollnick to an area hospital, police said. According to a news release, upon release he will be will be charged with several crimes. Gollnick had some association with every property, police said.

Police released a summary of the shootings:

• The 2344 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike incident is still being investigated. Forensic analysis is being completed and charges will be added through an arrest warrant.
• For the 376 North Star Drive incident, Gollnick will be charged with criminal attempt at first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, Criminal Use of a firearm, and Criminal Mischief 1st degree. The bond will be be set at $250,000.
• For the 70 Meriden Ave. shooting, Gollnick will be charged with unlawful discharge of a forearm, reckless endangerment, criminal use of a firearm, first-degree criminal mischief, interfering with police and engaging police in a pursuit. The bond is to be set at $250,000.
• The Mormon church incident at 750 Waterbury Turnpike is still being investigated and additional charges will be added through an arrest warrant.

Other Southington locations being investigated include: 156 School St., 216 Flanders Road and 828 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, police said.

According to an incident report, at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sunday, a resident at 156 School St reported hearing a noise outside the residence. The resident was unable to identify the noise but then received a call from a church member, and, after checking further, the resident discovered several bullet holes in a wall and into a second floor bedroom. Investigators determined approximately 12-to-15 shots were fired into a second floor bedroom wall. The home was occupied at the time and no one in the home was injured.

Between 6:30 and 7 p.m., a resident at 216 Flanders Rd reported hearing a noise outside the home, police said. The resident then noticed a lone man sitting in a black truck in the road in front of the home, but did not immediately identify him as Gollnick and thought it was a delivery driver. In all, 16 shots were fired into the home's garage door, police said.

At 8:28 pm., on Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, at Polumbo’s Service Center, investigators discovered 12 bullet holes from shots fired into overhead doors at the business, police said.

Gollnick has no known criminal history and has only had two recent police contacts (welfare checks) this past December, police said.

Anyone with any additional information on the shootings can call Southington police at 860-621-0101.