Westerly Shooting: 2 Dead, 2 Injured

WESTERLY, RI — Two people were killed and two others were seriously injured in a shooting at a Westerly, Rhode Island apartment complex on Thursday morning. Three women were shot in the area of the building's main entrance before the shooter, a resident, returned to his apartment where he was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound, according to police.

Westerly police said they were called to Babcock Village apartment complex at 10:32 a.m. and were on scene within five minutes. There, they found one woman dead and two others suffering from serious gunshot wounds. Approximately two hours later, they were able to find the shooter, using security footage from the complex's main office. Once they found his apartment, the tactical crews sent in a Rhode Island Bomb Squad robot equipped with a robot and found the man, a 66-year-old resident of the building, dead from an apparent suicide.

A 47-year-old female Babcock Village employee died in the shooting. A 38-year-old woman, also an employee, was taken to Westerly Hospital in critical condition and later flown by helicopter to Yale New Haven Hospital, and a 67-year-old resident, flown to Rhode Island hospital for surgery Thursday afternoon, was in stable condition afterward, police said.

Police said there does not appear to be more than one shooter and there is no immediate threat to the public.

"It's a tragic day for Westerly and the victims," said state Attorney General Peter Neronha.

Police agencies from across the state descended on the affluent seaside town, home to a number of celebrities including Taylor Swift, soon after the first alert. The Rhode Island State Police tactical team joined the massive response, which also included police from Stonington and Groton, CT, as well as Hopkinton, RI, police.

Schools were placed in lockdown and all complex residents were kept in their apartments until the suspect was found. Officers went door-to-door, telling residents to stay inside until the shooter was found, Chief Shawn Lacey said.

The shooting happened near the entrance and main office of the complex, which has about 150 apartments and 200 residents, many of whom are seniors.

Police also said a gun they believed was used in the shooting has been found and they are looking into the suspect's possible connections to the victims.

Westerly Town Council President Christopher A. Duhamel thanked the Westerly Police Department and Chief Lacey for their handling of the incident at the press conference.

The Westerly Hospital emergency room was "on a heightened state of security" throughout the late morning, meaning that it was still open for patient care but no visitors were allowed inside the building, said hospital spokesperson William Hanrahan.

Superintendent Mark Garceau said school officials were notified of the incident quickly and schools were placed on lockdown until approximately 12:45 p.m.

"This was never threat on any of of our campuses," Garceau said. "Our students and staff could not have been more appropriate in their response to this situation and the Westerly Police were as usual outstanding in their response, communications and support."

Shootings are rare in Westerly.It has been at least a year since the last homicide in the town, the chief said. Recent high-profile crime incidents have involved accused trespassers at Swift's home. This summer, a man was arrested after police said he broke into Swift's home. In April, police said a 19-year-old leading police officers on a car chase crashed into the front gate of her property.

Westerly borders Stonington, where schools were also placed on lockdown while the situation was active.

Patch Reporter Scott Souza and Patch Editor Jason Claffey contributed to this report.

RI State Police reporting 1 victim has died and two injured as of a result of a shooting in Westerly RI. Agents from the ATF are also assisting on the scene.
— RI Breaking News Source (@RIBNS) December 19, 2019