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04/20/2021 12:30 PMA quiet section of Branford was suddenly ripped with terrifying gunfire shortly before noon on April 13. The surreal sound of bullets flying had citizens in the line of fire scrambling for shelter in nearby homes and businesses as shots continued to ring out.
The day ended with one citizen injured, the shooter dead by self-inflicted wounds, and many unanswered questions.
Within 90 seconds of the first 911 call at 12:03 p.m., responding Branford police officers were on Main Street near the Richlin shopping plaza, where they instantly came under heavy fire. Startled witnesses watched their local police officers first take cover behind cruisers barraged by bullets, then engage in a firefight with a shooter gunning for them from a second-floor window at 241 Main Street (see “Eyewitnesses Describe Branford Shootout”).
“Our officers bravely responded to the report of an active shooter and were on scene in 90 seconds. They were met with a barrage of heavy gunfire and officers on scene did return fire,” said Branford Deputy Police of Chief John Alves during an April 14 press conference.
The shots could be heard several blocks away, where some evacuated residents gathered outside in small groups. Police shut down all area streets leading toward the danger and armed officers in military-style gear took up tactical positions, as responding agencies from the area and the state began to arrive to provide assistance.
The fierce gun battle between police and the shooter finally slowed with the arrival of the SWAT BearCat armored vehicle on the scene at approximately 1:30 p.m., followed about an hour later by repeated police attempts to contact the gunman by bullhorn, with no response.
With the situation still unstable, terrified residents and customers who could not be safely evacuated due to the threat were locked down to shelter in place for several more hours. State police closed down the approach to Branford at Exit 53 and law enforcement and first responder vehicles continued to barricade approaches to the area from West Main Street to Cherry Street, North Harbor Street to Kirkham Street, Main Street, and elsewhere.
After nearly seven hours of uncertainty and threat, Branford’s crisis finally ended when officers breached 241 Main Street at 6 p.m. Inside, police found the gunman, later identified as 38-year-old Matthew Walker, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as later confirmed by autopsy of the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
As of press time, police had not released information regarding a motive for his actions. He had resided in a second-floor apartment at the address, according to police.
During the intense period of shooting on April 13, Alves said bullets struck and damaged many nearby vehicles, businesses, and homes. While no officers or other civilians were injured, “many other civilians were terrified and they were in the vicinity of the gunfire,” said Alves.
Branford Detective Lieutenant Dominick Eula said the active shooter had “plenty of ammunition” and “multiple caliber weapons” of “many styles” at his disposal, both long guns and hand guns. While still in the early stages of the investigation, Eula said at least some of those weapons are known to have been legally registered firearms. Police also checked the area for bombing material, which was not found, Eula said.
Keeping the Community Safe
Due to the professionalism of the force and multiple responding agencies, as well as the cooperation of the public and bravery of citizens in the firing zone, the community came through the harrowing incident with no loss of life other than that of the suspect, said Alves, speaking during the brief press conference at Branford police headquarters on April 14.
“The number-one priority of our agency is the safety of our community,” said Alves.
As the press conference was taking place at 1 p.m. on April 14, police were still in the early stages of investigating the crime area, including the shopping plaza and other sites, which remained closed off. Police were combing for what was expected to be hundreds of rounds of spent ammunition and assessing bullet-ridden vehicles, homes, and buildings in the area.
In addition to culling for spent ammunition in the shopping plaza, police said bullets were found west of the shooter’s position at the gas pump area at Pepe’s Service Station, 171 Main Street, wher on person was hit. Across the street, a window beside the entrance at Angel Paws Dog Grooming, 214 Main Street, was also smashed by a bullet, while Shelley’s Garden Center at 217 Main Street had at least one vehicle damaged by bullets.
Still more damage was caused to property and vehicles throughout the area.
The Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Unit assisted with the investigation of the scene of the shooter’s death at 241 Main Street into the afternoon of April 14, causing the building’s ground floor business, Leon James International Hair Studio, to remain closed until police cleared the scene later that day.
Also on April 14, Alves said the force wished a “speedy recovery” to the one civilian who was struck by a bullet early in the incident. The civilian, later identified as Ashwin Patel, an owner of Shoreline Wine & Spirits, was struck while standing outside at a neighboring business, Pepe’s Service Station, where he was helped inside after he had been shot.
Once it was determined, through phone communication with police, that Patel’s injury was non-life threatening, police worked with Branford Fire Department to stage a safe evacuation by ambulance at the earliest possible moment, said Alves. Patel was taken to a hospital for surgery and was expected to be released April 17.
Friends set up an Ashwin Patel Recovery Fund GoFundMe page to help the Patel family cover the cost of medical expenses and lost wages from having to close their store during his recovery. The page was closing in on its $20,000 goal at press time for this story.
Many to Thank
In addition to deploying South Central Regional SWAT out of North Haven, Branford received outside mutual aid from many area departments, with East Haven police arriving within minutes of the request. Police departments of North Branford, Guilford, Madison, North Haven, and New Haven additionally assisted as well as Connecticut State Police, FBI, and Homeland Security. Branford 911 dispatchers were critical to the operation as was Branford Fire Department and first responders. Branford Fire Headquarters on North Main Street was used as a pivotal location for emergency responder staging during the crisis.
“I would like to thank all our partners who quickly and bravely responded to this incident,” said Alves. “We thank the public for their cooperation [and] for their patience and those involved for their bravery.”
Alves also thanked the community for showing strong support to Branford police during the incident and in the hours that followed.
“There’s been an outpouring of support, which has been great for all our officers,” he said.
Many community members showed their appreciation with comments posted at the Branford Police Department Facebook page, where police posted incident updates on April 13 as well as a video of the April 14 press conference.
Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove issued thanks to Branford police, fire, and emergency responders and dispatchers on behalf of the Town of Branford as well as to all of the additional first responders who came to Branford’s aid on April 13, in a community statement that noted, in part, “the Town of Branford is grateful for the rapid and well-organized response from all of our partnering agencies and believes that their swift response and actions helped prevent injuries and saved numerous lives.”
Police are also asking anyone involved who needs to speak to police or has any information to share about the incident to contact them at 203-481-4241. Additionally, police encourage anyone who feels they are in need of counseling due to the incident to contact police or Branford Counseling & Community Center, which will provide free counseling services, by calling 203-481-4248.