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Shrewsbury father shot and killed over spray-painting dispute, DA says
The man had just dropped his child off at school when he was shot. The accused shooter is not yet facing formal charges.
A father was shot and killed after dropping his child off at school in Shrewsbury, allegedly after a dispute over spray-painting, officials said.
The man, 57, was walking along a bridge on Jordan Pond before 9 a.m. Thursday morning where police responded to a reported dispute, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said at a press conference.
After dropping his 6-year-old child off at a nearby elementary school, the man had taken two pictures of a man spray-painting nearby, and called 911 when an “altercation” broke out, Early said. Dispatchers heard gunshots over the call.
Police found the man with multiple gunshot wounds, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he died, officials said Thursday afternoon.
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“It’s early in the investigation, and our thoughts of prayers with that deceased victim and his family,” Early said.
Calvin Coolidge Elementary School, the nearby school, was immediately placed on lockdown after the shooting, officials said. In a message to families, Principal Tiffany Ostrander confirmed a parent of a student had been killed.
A bus of students who had not yet been dropped off at school were rerouted during the incident, Superintendent Joe Sawyer said in a statement.
“I sincerely wish that our staff had not needed to implement our safety and security protocols, but I am very proud of how they handled an extremely challenging situation,” Sawyer said in a statement. “The response of our staff at Coolidge School was outstanding.”
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The alleged shooter, approximately 26 years old, is not yet facing any formal charges, Early said. The man, known to the Shrewsbury police, surrendered himself to officials at his home, “where he retreated after the shooting,” Early said.
Early declined to comment on what the spray paint depicted or read.
This story was updated to include additional information from Shrewsbury Public Schools.
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