Police investigating two fatal shootings within six hours in Bridgeport
The Bridgeport Police Department is investigating two separate fatal shootings that took place on Monday within a six-hour span.
Police responded to the 900 block of William St. at 2:19 p.m. on Monday for a ShotSpotter activation in the area. Officers received reports of gunfire and a person with a possible gunshot wound inside a vehicle in the same area shortly after.
Officers found a man, identified as 26-year-old Tyheem Scales of Naugatuck, with multiple gunshot wounds in a parking lot. Scales was transported to Bridgeport Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival, police said.
“I believe we are making progress and we hope to resolve that situation as soon as possible,” Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter said at a press conference Tuesday. “We want to assure our community that we’re doing everything possible to make sure that the area where this happened that they are safe.”
Just six hours later, at 8:55 p.m., police responded to the 600 block of Trumbull Ave. for a ShotSpotter activation and a report of a person shot in a parking lot by local citizens, police said. Police found a man, 35-year-old Tyeshon King from Bridgeport, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Saint Vincent’s Hospital and later died, police said.
Porter, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and state Sen. Herron Gaston, D-Bridgeport, all expressed their condolences to the families of King and Scales during their press conference Tuesday.
“We have a responsibility to make sure that we are keeping this community safe, to make Bridgeport a beacon of light for people who want to come here and to live here and to be a part of our economy here,“ Gaston said. “People deserve to live in a safe environment.”
Despite their proximity in time, the homicides do not appear to be related, police said.
“This department is working around the clock, literally, on the investigative aspects of this,” Ganim said at the press conference.
Bridgeport detectives have taken over the investigation and are working on several leads, police said. Porter said he would expect that the department’s detectives will “bring closure” to the case and suspects will be taken into custody “at some point really soon.”
There does not appear to be a threat to the community, but the department increased the police presence in both areas, Porter said Tuesday.
Both Porter and Ganim urged possible witnesses to come forward with any information they have on the two cases. Ganim asked that anyone who was in “earshot” or knows something that could be helpful to police to contact officers with information.
Anyone with information can contact the Bridgeport Police Tip Line at 203-576-TIPS (8477).
