Norwich police search for killer

NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) -- Police are attempting to track down a suspect who gunned down two women at a local bar in Norwich over the weekend. One of the women survived the attack, the other did not.

It was closing time at the Mai Thai restaurant, just before 2 a.m. Sunday morning, when violence broke out in the bar area.

"The shots woke me up," said Maria Kowalewski.

"What did it sound like," asked News 8's Tina Detelj.

"Just like a muffled pop, pop, pop," replied Kowalewski.

Kowalewski and her neighbors often hear loud crowds on the back deck of the Laurel Hill Avenue bar around closing time.

"They make a lot of noise," Kowalewski said.

"Some fights too," Detelj asked.

"Umm arguments," Kowalewski said.

However, this time those arguments escalated into violence, and Norwich's first homicide of the year.

"What did you think when you heard somebody had been shot and killed," Detelj asked.

"Scared, yeah it's just like, it's just really I don't know. I felt bad," Kowalewski said.

It's been two days since the shooting happened and police have yet to identify the victim.

News 8 asked why that hasn't happened yet. We were told that the family still needs to be notified. We also asked if the shooter has been identified and were told right now all they can say is that they are looking for at least one male shooter.

We pushed police for more information and were told if anyone saw the shooting or has information about what led up to it to contact them. The shooter is believed to have slipped out before police and ambulances arrived, so speculation grows.

"Well I just heard someone say they might shoot somebody the week before through the grapevine, ya know," said Kowalewski.

A room full of potential witnesses gives neighbors hope that a killer will be caught.