Thomas MacMillan Photo
Cops dismantle the crime scene.
Betty Richardson was at home Tuesday morning watching Bounty Hunter when a lot more action started happening right outside her door.
First she heard gunshots. She looked out the window at the corner of Gibbs Street and Dixwell Avenue. She saw a man fire four or five shots.
“I got down on the floor,” she said.
Police arrived to find a young man shot once in the hip. He was in “guarded but stable condition” at the hospital, according to Sgt. David Zannelli. Police found some shell casings at the scene and are investigating, looking for two young men. Police spokesman Officer David Hartman later reported that the victim is a 17-year-old Hillhouse High School student; he said the shooting occurred as part of an attempted robbery.
“Then [an hour later] the house caught on fire,” said Richardson, who lives on the first floor of an apartment house on the corner. She was worried about her mother, who was inside.
Richardson told the police about the fire in the house. They called the fire department, which soon arrived.
The fire turned out to be minor, according to Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Black.“It appeared to be accidental in nature. There were some workers in the building yesterday doing some work,” and that may have caused it, he said.
Garth Harries, superintendent of schools, released this statement Tuesday afternoon: “I am deeply saddened and troubled that an act of gun violence has touched one of our students, and therefore our school community. As a school system and a city, we owe it to every one of our students to support and engage them in a way that sets them on a positive path and prevents tragic outcomes. This morning I visited the hospital and spoke to the mother of the young man who was shot. We have mobilized to support the family during his recovery and we will continue working with the community to address the roots of gun violence and to seek a shift in culture that benefits students and families and strengthens our city.”
