A Connecticut man fatally shot his estranged wife and son before he too was killed by another person after an argument broke out during his move out of the family home, police said.
The apparent domestic violence incident unfolded Thursday evening at a residence in Wolcott, WFSB reported. When officers arrived on the scene just before 6:30 p.m., they found three people — a 59-year-old father, a 55-year-old mother, and their 34-year-old son — suffering from gunshot wounds. They were all pronounced dead on the scene.
None of their names have been released, but police confirmed the man and woman were a married couple. They’d been estranged for about a year, which is why the father had been moving out of the residence on Bound Line Road, NBC Connecticut reported. His wife and their son, along with a friend, had been helping him remove his belongings from the property when tensions suddenly escalated.
Police said a shouting match broke out between the couple while the others were dropping items outside. When they returned, they saw the man pointing a gun at his estranged wife, prompting their son to spring into action. Despite his efforts to intervene, his mother was fatally struck in the gunfire, police said. His father then turned the weapon on him and shot him too.
Amidst the violence, the son’s friend, who is a registered gun owner, pulled out his own firearm and shot the father, according to authorities. He then called 911.
Police Chief Edward Stephens said the incident was “very unfortunate for everyone involved.” He added the son’s friend has been cooperating with investigators, but noted the shooting death of the father was “a matter of self defense.”
Authorities said they do not believe there to be any ongoing threat to the public at this time. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.
