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'It was like, 'bam boom bam boom!': Hartford police investigate homicide on Hillside Avenue

A car crash escalated into a homicide, according to police.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford police are investigating a homicide in the South West section of the capital city on Thursday evening.

Officers were called to the 500 block of Hillside Avenue for a report of a shooting that happened around 5:30 p.m.

RELATED: Southington's first homicide in several years remains under investigation

Police said the shooting started with a car crash around Flatbush Avenue and Newpark Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, officers located a car that had crashed into a fence. 

According to police, there were two people in a car, Manuel Rodriguez, 23, appeared to suffer from an apparent gunshot wound and was unresponsive at the scene. There was also a woman who was not hurt but was sent to the hospital.

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Police said the suspect hit the back of the victim's car and drove off. The victim then followed the suspect. Then, a passenger in the suspect's car got out and started shooting. The victim was shot in the head and his car crashed through a fence and into a tree on Hillside Ave.

The male victim was transported to an area hospital where he died.

Police said they have recovered the suspect's car but are still looking for the suspect in the deadly shooting. 

RELATED: 'We're in a different time now': Activist calls for change after 2 teens injured in Hartford shooting

On Friday morning, Gladys Vasquez and her son Jose told FOX61 News that they heard the shooting took place and were among those in the community to call the police.

"All of the sudden we heard the shooting," Gladys Vasquez said, while her son added: "And then it was like, bam boom bam boom bam boom!"

The mother, who lives on Hillside Avenue next to the home where the shooting happened, said at first they thought it was firecrackers being lit on fire.

"I've lived here 14 years. This never happened," she added. "Thank God nothing happened because the kids are normally playing here in the front hard, in the driveway, or in the back."

Caylee Morales, who lives near where the crash happened, said she used to go outside to walk her dog but cannot anymore.

"I'm very nervous how the gun activity is increasing," she said. "Literally, there's too many car accidents going on. Too many hit and runs going on over there."

DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.

Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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