By David Owens, Hartford Courant
HARTFORD — A woman was critically wounded when her estranged boyfriend shot her on Saturday morning inside a crowded Family Dollar store at Park and Lafayette streets, police said.
The woman suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and was being treated at Hartford Hospital. He assailant shot himself in the chest and is also being treated at Hartford Hospital, Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley said.
The shooting occurred about 11:50 a.m.
An employee said she heard several popping sounds, then people screaming to get down or get out.
The gunman, she said, had no regard for any of the others in the store.
“He was all cocky,” she said. “He didn’t care. There were kids and families in there.”
Customers and employees rushed the front door and flooded into the parking lot and across Lafayette Street to a Bank of America parking lot.
Major Crimes Division detectives were interviewing witnesses and working with store staff to obtain video from inside the store.
The victim, a woman in her 30s, was in the store when her estranged boyfriend approached and opened fire with a revolver, Foley said. After shooting the woman several times he shot himself. Police recovered the handgun.
William Johnson, who had just walked into the store, said he heard the gunfire and turned immediately around to leave. Customers and store staff were right behind him.
At least two employees took refuge in a manager’s office inside the store and were later let out by police.