HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The suspects in Thursday night’s double homicide in Hartford are connected to at least three other shots-fired incidents and are considered heavily armed and extremely dangerous, authorities said.
Hartford police said three armed men jumped out of a car and fired 101 rounds in less than 10 seconds, killing two men on Park Street near Hazel Street. Police identified the victims as 39-year-old Jonathan Roseboro of West Hartford and 34-year-old Jose Valdes. Investigators said they don’t believe Roseboro and Valdes were explicitly targeted.
Hartford police released surveillance images Friday afternoon of the shooting, showing three suspects dressed in all black with white sneakers. Police believe a fourth suspect was in the car.
Local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, are now investigating what Hartford police chief Jason Thody called an all-hands-on-deck case.
“The motives are unknown,” Thody said. “We don’t have any correlation between victims and targeted individuals in this case.”
The police chief said the first shots-fired incident happened just after 1 a.m. Wednesday on Ledyard Street. Police found 52 spent casings of different calibers, and one of the shooters used an assault rifle. Police said the suspects chose the location on purpose and targeted multiple people.
Hartford police said ShotSpotter alerted them around 12:45 a.m. Thursday to Park and Putnam streets, where they found 39 spent casings and 13 spent rifle rounds. Hours later, police said a Newington home was shot at multiple times by multiple shooters. Among the casings recovered, police said rifle rounds were found.
“These individuals in each of these incidents are attempting to murder people,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said. “They are working together and shooting an enormous amount of rounds, and as you saw last night [Thursday], they shot at two individuals and killed them immediately.”
Police are still looking for the suspect vehicle, described as a silver, four-door Audi with a sunroof and heavily-tinted windows.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hartford Police Department at (860) 757-4000 or its anonymous tip line at (860) 722-TIPS.