This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/us/westerly-rhode-island-shooting.html
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
3 People Shot, 1 Fatally, at Westerly, Rhode Island, Housing Complex | 3 People Shot, 1 Fatally, at Westerly, Rhode Island, Housing Complex |
(32 minutes later) | |
Three people were shot, one fatally, at a housing complex in Westerly, R.I., on Thursday morning, the authorities said. | Three people were shot, one fatally, at a housing complex in Westerly, R.I., on Thursday morning, the authorities said. |
The police were still trying to capture the person who opened fire, said Col. James M. Manni, the superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police. | |
The Westerly Police Department said the shooting occurred on Cross Street in Babcock Village. Real estate websites indicated the complex offers affordable housing for older adults and people with disabilities. | |
Local schools were “locked down until further notice,” according to a post on the Facebook page of Westerly Public Schools. | Local schools were “locked down until further notice,” according to a post on the Facebook page of Westerly Public Schools. |
Residents of Westerly, a waterfront town on the south shore of Rhode Island, near the Connecticut border, reported a heavy police presence around midday on Thursday, including armored trucks and helicopters. | |
The Connecticut State Police dispatched troopers along the border and in the town of Stonington, Conn., which sits next to Westerly, to help with the investigation, a spokeswoman said. | |
The Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives tweeted that special agents from the bureau’s Providence office were on the scene to help the local police. | |
Representative David Cicilline, who represents the nearby First District of Rhode Island, tweeted that he was “closely monitoring the situation in Westerly.” | Representative David Cicilline, who represents the nearby First District of Rhode Island, tweeted that he was “closely monitoring the situation in Westerly.” |
Jacquelyn Smith, an administrator at Christ Episcopal Church, about a mile from the shooting, said the church had been locked down. Seven people were there at the time. | Jacquelyn Smith, an administrator at Christ Episcopal Church, about a mile from the shooting, said the church had been locked down. Seven people were there at the time. |
“We immediately sprang into action,” Ms. Smith said. “We locked all of the doors and we gathered in the church together.” | “We immediately sprang into action,” Ms. Smith said. “We locked all of the doors and we gathered in the church together.” |
As they waited for an all-clear from the authorities, they alerted neighbors, friends and relatives about the shooting, she added. | As they waited for an all-clear from the authorities, they alerted neighbors, friends and relatives about the shooting, she added. |
“We’re all as concerned about ourselves, as we are our community and the people in it,” she said. | “We’re all as concerned about ourselves, as we are our community and the people in it,” she said. |
Town Councilor Karen A. Cioffi said Babcock Village, where the shooting occurred, is a “normally quiet” public housing complex on Cross Street, about eight blocks from her home. | |
“I have been here 26 years and I’ve never heard of an active shooter,” Ms. Cioffi said. “We train for it all the time, but this is probably a first for us. It’s shocking.” | “I have been here 26 years and I’ve never heard of an active shooter,” Ms. Cioffi said. “We train for it all the time, but this is probably a first for us. It’s shocking.” |
This is a developing story. | This is a developing story. |
Derrick Bryson Taylor and Maria Cramer contributed reporting. Susan Beachy contributed research. |