NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — UPDATE:
New Haven police have identified the victims of Sunday's double homicide as New Haven residents Alfreda Youmans, 50, and Jeffery Dotson, 42. Police said they were fatally shot.
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Coming off a year where the total number of murders in New Haven had been higher than in any year since 2013, police are pouring their resources into a double-homicide that occurred Sunday. But police remain tight-lipped about what exactly happened.
This first-floor unit, in the back of an apartment house on Winthrop Avenue, is where police spent nearly 24 hours
A visiting nurse had gone to the home, at 280 Winthrop Ave., knocked on the door and after receiving no answer went inside and located two individuals that she believed were dead," said Assistant New Haven Police Chief Renee Dominguez.
Police confirm a male and female had been shot to death but have not released their identities.
"At this point we are investigating it as a double homicide," said Dominguez, who acknowledged investigators had not completely ruled out a murder-suicide.
Sources say no gun was found.
"As the investigation is unfolding, we will be able to release more information," Dominguez said. " But, at this time, we cannot release any information about whether there was a weapon on scene."
The nurse's 911 call came in at 11:30 Sunday morning. A woman, who claims to be the female victim's regular nurse, happened to be off Sunday.
"The night nurse called me because he thought it was me," said the woman, who asked that her identity not be revealed. "So, when he called me like we were just like so surprised and anxious."
"They (the victims) weren’t there very long but, it definitely is within reason that it could’ve been several hours since the (shooting) incident," said Dominguez.
The unidentified nurse said the female victim wasn't married but did have people staying with her that would come and go.
"Last week, when I was seeing her, there was a guy there that just started to come," the nurse said. "I’ve never seen him in there before."
"There always seems to be some rowdiness going on over there and yelling and so, and I just don’t pay any attention to it anymore," said Steven Peery, who lives in the neighborhood.
New Haven experienced 20 murders in 2020, which is the highest total in the Elm City in seven years. However, overall crime, police note, in is down for the 4th consecutive year.