Police: Shooting of 14-year-old part of a string of overnight shootings in Connecticut
By ROB POLANSKY, DENNIS VALERA
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WATERBURY, Connecticut (WFSB) — A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back overnight while inside a home in Waterbury.
Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said it was part of a string of three shootings detectives believe are connected.
Spagnolo released more details about the incidents during a news conference on Wednesday morning.
The first shooting happened around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday on Cassidy Avenue. Shots were fired at a home and 9mm shell casings were found at the site.
Spagnolo said his department is familiar with a juvenile who lives at the home. He said the juvenile was recently released from a detention facility.
“We’ve been providing social services and support for people that have been coming back into our community, at least on the adult level,” Spagnolo said. “We’re trying to do that on the juvenile level as well, but that’s very difficult because the information is very limited to police on releases and what exactly is going on with their case.”
Around 12 a.m. Thursday, shots were fired at a home on Whitewood Road. Again, police said they found 9mm shell casings. Another juvenile whom police said they are familiar with lives at that address. They said the juvenile was involved with group violence and auto theft.
On Angel Drive, a bullet came through and hit the 14-year-old around 12:30 a.m.
The call originally came in to police as a “shots fired” incident.
When they arrived at the scene, they said they found evidence that shots had been fired in the roadway.
At that point, dispatch was notified that a teen arrived at an area hospital with the wound to the back area.
Police confirmed that the victim was connected to the Angel Drive incident.
The teen remained hospitalized on Thursday morning in stable condition. The bullet was lodged close to his aorta. He was taken from St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.
Police said the teen was also involved in group violence and auto theft.
Detectives continue to investigate the cases.
They believe the incidents were retaliatory, but isolated.
Spagnolo said that while the juveniles involved in the shootings are connected to group violence, it’s different groups.
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