HAMDEN, Conn. — The 15-year-old fatally shot and killed in Hamden, while walking home from school Monday, has been identified as Hamden High School freshman Elijah Gomez, who just celebrated a birthday just last week.
On Tuesday, part of the police investigation shifted to a home near the intersection of Langer and Gorham, in the south end of Hamden.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police had not made any arrests. However, a car was towed from the home in question as police stood outside awaiting a search warrant for the residence, which is less than a mile from the Farmington Canal Linear Trail, where the fatal shots were fired Monday afternoon at approximately 2:30 p.m.
"It's very scary because I walk on this trail every day," said Stephanie Carney of Hamden.
She was walking her dog right after the shooting Monday when police descended upon the trail off Treadwell Street.
"They were just coming down jumping out of their cars, guns drawn," she said.
Sources tell FOX61 that three masked men hid behind some trees near the trail and ambushed Gomez near a mailbox just off of the trail.
"I heard the shots," said a man, who did not provide his name.
But, by the time he raced out of a nearby building, all he saw was the 15-year-old laying in the road. He says he was one of three people to tend to the teen.
"I was telling him to try to fight it all and I even put my sweatshirt under his head," said the good Samaritan.
Many community stakeholders met Tuesday afternoon, including an organization which deals with at risk young folks in the area, which the victim apparently was not.
"Collectively, everyone has the same narrative," said Leonard Jahad, Executive Director of the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program. "Who is this kid? He wasn't on our radar. So we're talking about police, we're talking about school officials, school security and deans of students."
Gomez had no criminal history and no court involvement, Jahad added.
So everyone is still trying to determine why this happened. And perhaps they will find answers within the home that was their focus Tuesday.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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