SHREWSBURY, Mass. — A man returning home from dropping his 6-year-old child off at school was shot to death near a pond in Shrewsbury on Thursday morning, prompting a massive law enforcement response, authorities said.
Officers responded to the bridge near Jordan Pond after overhearing gunshots on a 911 call reporting a disturbance in the area, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said during an afternoon news conference.
“While officers were responding, dispatch advised that they could hear gunshots over the 911 call,” Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson explained.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a shooting victim on a pathway near the pond and called in backup from Auburn police, West Boylston police, and Massachusetts State Police, according to Early and Anderson.
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The victim, who was identified as the 911 caller, was rushed to UMass Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His name hasn’t been released.
As a result of the shooting, Anderson immediately ordered residents in the area of Jordan Pond, Edgewater Avenue, and Plainfield Avenue to shelter in place. Officers also secured the campus of the nearby Coolidge School as a precaution.
“The gentleman who was shot earlier was walking his child to the school and was returning from the school when he interacted with a man on the bridge,” Early said. “It appeared that the man was doing some type of spray painting. He took a picture of the man, and that started an altercation. The person then had a dispute, and the gunshots were heard.”
With the use of drones, the suspect, who hasn’t been identified, was later stopped by state police troopers on his way back from the bridge and taken into custody, according to Early.
Video shared with Boston 25 News showed the moment the suspect was detained in front of a white home that had “Free Palestine,” “BLM,” “GLM,” and “Free Congo” painted on the front.
John Bissonnette works nearby and said he’s come in contact with the suspect before, including earlier in the week on Tuesday, when he ended up calling the police on him.
“A couple of days ago, I was pulling out of a parking spot right here, and he came flying down into the parking lot. You’re supposed to go 5 miles per hour; he’s going like 50. He almost hit me, and then he almost hit one of the mechanics that works here, and the mechanic said something to him, and he got out of his car and started saying, ‘Don’t disrespect me, mind your own business.’ I backed up to see what was going on, and he came charging at me and yelling at me,” Bissonnette said.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect is known to them, acknowledging an incident involving a machete in Westborough back in 2022.
Police were executing a search warrant at the home where the suspect retreated to. Charges were also expected.
Additional details on what led up to the shooting weren’t immediately clear.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned in Westborough District Court on Friday on charges relating to the incident.
An investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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