Shooting in Westerly, Rhode Island, Leaves 2 Dead, 2 Injured

Victor Westerkamp
By Victor Westerkamp
December 19, 2019US News
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Shooting in Westerly, Rhode Island, Leaves 2 Dead, 2 Injured
Police officers on the scene of a shooting at the Babcock Village housing complex in Waverly, R.I., on Dec. 19, 2019. (Courtesy of WCVB)

A shooting occurred in a Rhode Island housing complex for the disabled and elderly on Thursday morning leaving two injured and two—including the shooter—dead.

At this time, no information has been disclosed regarding the motive for the attack.

One employee at the complex, a 47-year-old women, was killed, while a 38-year-old employee and 67-year-old resident were both transferred to hospital after sustaining significant injuries.

The gunman, a 66-year-old resident, later died from a self-inflicted gunshot, Westerly Police Department Chief Shawn Lacey said at a news conference.

The incident occurred at the Babcock, an affordable housing complex for older adults, in Westerly, Rhode Island, near the Connecticut border.

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Police officers on the scene of a reported active shooting at the Babcock Village Apartments in Westerly, R.I., on Dec. 19, 2019. (Courtesy of WCVB)

The proprietor and the managing agency issued a joint statement saying they were “shocked and saddened that this tragedy has occurred.”

“Our foremost priority is the safety of our residents and staff. We are working with law enforcement to address this situation, and further questions should be referred to the Westerly Police and Rhode Island State Police.”

The nearby Westerly Public Schools went on lockdown at about 10:30 a.m. local time, according to their Facebook page.

“At approximately 10:30 a.m., we received word of an active situation playing out nearby. This was never threat on any of our campuses,” a post said.

“We immediately locked down (students in place, classrooms locked, no one enters or exits any building). This delayed the dismissal of morning pre-K and forced the cancellation of the afternoon session. Police were dispatched to all of our buildings and administrators were actively monitoring all activity inside the schools.”

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Location of the shooting at the Babcock Village housing complex in Westerly, R.I., on Dec. 19, 2019. (CNN)

A neighbor at the complex, 64-year-old Deborah Diehl, who spoke to The New York Times said she heard a “commotion” and when she looked over at the lobby, she saw a woman covered in blood.

“There is yellow tape everywhere,” she said.

Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island said in a statement: “I stand with the people of Westerly and all Rhode Islanders in coming together to support the victims and their families during this difficult time.”

Nearby Charlestown Police Department has sent officers to assist, according to Lt. Phillip Gingerella.

Connecticut State Police are also covering the border in Connecticut and the Town of Stonington, which is next to Westerly, according to State Police spokeswoman Christine Jeltema.

Westerly Public Schools said all schools had been put into lock down but that the action was lifted at 12:40 p.m. after the WPD gave the all clear to normal activities.

Westerly, a beachside town in southwestern Rhode Island, has a population of about 23,000 people.

This article was partly based on Wire Service Content from CNN.

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