Communities in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Virginia are grieving after a police officer was killed just hours into her first shift.
New England native Ashley Guindon, 28, was killed Saturday responding to a domestic violence call in Virginia. She was born in Springfield, and lived in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Her uncle Thomas Guindon is a detective in the West Springfield, Mass. police department.
Flowers were outside of the family’s Merrimack home.
Her high school Principal Ken Johnson remembers Guindon as a cheerleader before high school and a U.S. Marine afterward. “The irony is a bit overwhelming. A kid who gives her life to community service only to have it taken away the very first day.That’s just not fair.”
Her final year book thought reads “Live for something rather than die for nothing.”
She was sworn in to the Prince Williams County Police Department on Friday.
Guindon was shot and killed the next day responding to a domestic violence call on her very first shift, the night shift.
“They approached the front door of the home and the subject inside the home, later identified as the accused, opened fire,” according to Sgt. Stephan Hudson, of the Prince Williams County Police Dept.
Ronald Hamilton, 32, of Woodbridge, Virginia has been arrested for capital murder.
He’s accused of killing Guindon and his own wife and accused of shooting two other officers.
Merrimack police lowered the flag outside their headquarters and escorted Guidon’s mom and aunt to the airport for the trip to Virginia.
“It’s horrible. It’s an absolutely tragic thing for any police officer to have to deal with.”
