Fort Hale Garden Condominiums on Woodward Avenue in New Haven photographed on June 23, 2026 where two shooting deaths occurred on Monday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Fort Hale Garden Condominiums resident Luz Garcia talks about living at the condominiums on June 23, 2026 following the shooting deaths of two young men on Monday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Fort Hale Garden Condominiums on Woodward Avenue in New Haven photographed on June 23, 2026 where two shooting deaths occurred on Monday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut M
Fort Hale Garden Condominiums resident Marco Marquez talks about living at the condominiums on June 23, 2026 following the shooting deaths of two young men on Monday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
Fort Hale Garden Condominiums on Woodward Avenue in New Haven photographed on June 23, 2026 where two shooting deaths occurred on Monday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
NEW HAVEN — A clash between two groups led to the Monday daylight shooting deaths of two young men, — the city’s first homicides of the year, police say.
“It appears the two groups had a connection to each other and this was not a random event,” Officer Christian Bruckhart, a spokesperson for the New Haven Police Department, said Tuesday. Detectives have an idea of the motive, but are not willing to share it for fear of jeopardizing the investigation, he said.
Article continues below this ad
They said Monday that a preliminary investigation showed that separate groups of men who knew each other were involved in the afternoon gunfire.
“To call them a gang is an overstatement because they’re super hyper-local,” Bruckhart said, adding that police were not currently investigating the shooting as an outbreak of gang violence.
A third victim survived after also being shot at the Fort Hale Gardens condominium complex on Woodward Avenue. He is expected to make a full recovery, Bruckhart said. None of the three people shot appear to have a connection to the complex, Bruckhart said.
Residents at the condominium complex, tucked away from the city’s gun violence hotspots on a quiet street in the East Shore, said Tuesday morning they were more concerned by what they don’t know.
Article continues below this ad
“It’s an odd incident, especially at this complex at this time of day,” said resident Marco Marquez, a city social worker who has lived in the complex for four years.
Marquez said he was in his home packing for a move to California when the shooting occurred, and as word spread throughout the complex Monday and people gathered outside, none of his neighbors had observed anything, either.
He said the environment around the complex has historically been quiet and respectful, but Monday’s homicides and an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the nearby dog park last year have created a general feeling of confusion.
“People usually leave this area alone. I’m in disbelief about it happening,” he said.
Article continues below this ad
Charlene Wasilewski, who said she has lived in her unit in the Fort Hale Gardens complex for 30 years, said she was worried by the lack of clarity and information. She said she’d been seeking information from local news sources but had not learned much in the roughly 24 hours since Monday’s shootings.
“It’s kind of scary. I usually feel pretty safe,” she said.
Wasilewski said her car was stolen from outside her unit two years ago.
“This was always very quiet and had a nice community feeling,” she said. “But not anymore.”
Article continues below this ad
Luz Garcia, who said she’s resided in her unit at the complex for three years, said she does not feel scared to live in her apartment, but she has been keeping her guard up, especially at night.
Police said they were called to the complex at 1:24 p.m. Monday for a report of a shooting.
The three victims had left the scene before officers arrived, but police met them later at Yale New Haven Hospital on York Street, police said.
One car had a 21-year-old man from Ansonia, a 24-year-old from Waterbury and a third person who was not injured, they said. The Ansonia 21-year-old died.
Article continues below this ad
A New Haven 18-year-old with gunshot wounds was dropped off at Smilow Cancer Hospital a short time later, police said; he also died.
Police said the New Haven 18-year-old had a “minor” arrest as a juvenile, but nothing to indicate a history of violence. They did not have information about the Ansonia man.
Police have not yet released the names of the two people who were killed.
The complex where the shots rang out is less than a half-mile from Nathan Hale School, which was still in session, a school spokesperson said.
Article continues below this ad
“Police alerted us to be watchful, but did not recommend a lockdown because it was a targeted shooting and the suspects had already left the neighborhood,” said Justin Harmon, of New Haven Public Schools.
Ward 18 Alder Leland Moore said he has been speaking with the police and the community as the investigation into the shooting continues.
“Violence always has an impact on a community, but this community in my experience is very resilient,” he said.
Article continues below this ad
Reporting by Josh LaBella was used for this story.
Comments are closed.