One Dead After Police-Involved Shooting Near Tewksbury’s Salter School
One person is dead and two injured after a double stabbing at the Salter School in Tewskbury Tuesday morning was followed by a police-involved shooting, authorities said.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a media briefing Tuesday that police responded to a 911 call at 9 a.m. about an incident unfolding in the school’s parking lot.
A male and female, each employees of the school, were confronted by a male who used to date the female, according to the DA’s office. That male then slashed two tires on the car the employees arrived in and broke a car window, authorities said. He then stabbed both employees in the arms and hands, authorities said.
The suspect, armed with a knife and BB gun, then fled on foot about a half-mile to Forest Street, where he was shot by police after refusing to drop what officers believed was a handgun, according to authorities. The suspect, who was later identified as 30-year-old Doug Sparks of Medford, was pronounced dead at Saints Medical Center in Lowell, according to the DA’s office.
The two stabbing victims were taken to Lawrence General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Ryan said.
“An ordinary day took a tragic turn,’’ she said.
According to Massachusetts State Police, ballistics units are assisting the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office with the investigation.
The Salter School, at 515 Woburn St., is a private vocational school that provides training programs for careers, including professional medical assistants, health claims specialists and massage therapists. The Tewksbury location is one of four campuses in Massachusetts.
The Salter School was in lockdown, according to The Town Crier, which also reported that school officials ordered pizza for those inside the building.[fragment number=0]
Tewksbury Police Chief Timothy Sheehan told the media that it’s too early in the investigation to know the subject matter of the altercation.
This is an active investigation, a Tewksbury Police Department spokesperson told Boston.com.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com