NEW HAVEN, Conn. — On Thursday night, friends and family of a New Haven woman and long-time school bus driver are coming together for a vigil to honor and celebrate her life. The morning started off with a tribute of school buses in front of her Shelton Ave home.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” said Devon Coleman, the godson of Sheila Harris.
Harris passed away Wednesday after being critically injured in a domestic dispute with her partner on Sunday.
“I could not believe it. Could not believe it. You know, this is someone who you least expect for this to happen to them,” Coleman said.
Coleman said Harris treated him like her own, as she did for many others.
“She would give you shelter if you needed it. She would give you food if you needed it. She would give you money if you needed it. She was just all things to all people,” Coleman said.
But on Sunday, he got a call that he’d never expected.
Earlier in the morning on August 20th, New Haven Police said they worked with Harris, who was seeking their help with a domestic dispute with her partner, Christopher Garvin. Garvin was also the father of two of her children. Police said they spent hours with Harris coming up with a safety plan, all while looking for Garvin, who was nowhere to be found. However, after they dropped Harris back off at her home, and were diverted to another call, they got a call for shots fired back at the house.
When police got there, police found Garvin and Harris suffering from gunshot wounds. Garvin died from his injuries. Police said a family member stepped in to defend Harris and shot him. After days of being in critical condition in the hospital, Harris passed away on Wednesday.
“Her tragic loss is one of great pain, one of great hurt to the family and to the community at large. We never thought anything like this would occur,” said Sean Hardy, Harris’ second cousin.
Now, those who knew and loved Harris are trying to focus on who she was and hold on to their best memories of her.
“Sheila of course had a wonderful, bubbly personality. A very outspoken, wonderful personality. A giver. She was definitely a giver of her community, of her family, of loved ones. Loved to cook, loved to feed,” Hardy said.
Hardy said Harris was a school bus driver for First Student in New Haven for more than two decades. He said she loved working with children.
“So much is happening, so much is going on. And I’m just hoping that even in the midst of this, that some type of healing takes place,” Hardy said.
All as many are hoping for answers on how this happened.
New Haven Police said there was a history of domestic violence in the relationship.
According to court records, Garvin had two pending charges for breach of peace and assault in the third degree, after being arrested for a fight at a store last March.
"This is a tragedy. This is a terrible incident. She came to us. We did everything possible to help her,” said New Haven Police Chief, Karl Jacobson.
Though police came up with a safety plan, Cindy Carlson with the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence in New Haven said things don’t always go to plan in a scenario like this one.
“The thing to understand is that people who perpetrate domestic violence, they have a different agenda. And, just across the board, they get to decide when the next situation starts,” Carlson said.
But, organizations like the Umbrella Center hope to be able to intervene before it gets to that point. Carlson said there are red flags to look for in a relationship that’s heading in a dangerous direction.
“When we’re talking about lethality, and the risk of lethality, we look at the way the perpetrator is behaving. And when we talk about a perpetrator, we talk about someone who is actually focused on creating violence in a relationship,” Carlson said.
Early indicators of acts of violence, according to Carlson, could involve strangulation, isolation from friends and family, and stalking.
“Those type of behaviors are what we would call red flags in a situation and should cause people concern if they see it happening to them or their loved ones,” Carlson said.
Lately, Carlson said the calls they’re getting into the center are more intense. She said community advocates are here to help and to stop things from escalating. Anyone can get that help for themselves or their loved one, anonymously (if they choose to do so).
“We want to work together to find a safer outcome for people who are impacted by domestic violence,” Carlson said.
While police and Harris’ loved ones are still trying to figure out why this happened, they’re trying to celebrate who she was and live on in her honor.
“What’s instilled in me now is the love that I have for people. Because she really loved people. And when she loved you, she loved you hard,” Coleman said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call the 24/7 hotline in Connecticut at (888) 774-2900 (English) OR (844) 831-9200 (Español). The number is safe, confidential, and free.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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