FAIRFIELD, Conn. — A 15-year-old was shot dead and another wounded in the jaw by a single gunshot at a party in Fairfield Saturday night.
The victim was identified as Zion Burton of Bridgeport. His 16th birthday would have been on July 15.
Fairfield police said that at approximately 10:30 p.m., they received several 911 calls reporting shots fired at the banquet hall of the Calvin United Church on Kings Highway East (Route 1).
First arriving officers located an unresponsive male victim in the hall and immediately began life-saving measures, police said. The victim was transported to Saint Vincent’s Medical Center where he died as a result of his injuries.
Soon thereafter, police said they were told that a female victim had arrived at the hospital suffering a gunshot wound to the jaw. She was listed in stable condition and has since been released from the hospital.
The preliminary investigation revealed that a large party was taking place at the banquet hall, which was rented to someone who is not a member of the church and does not live in Fairfield. Police say they've been told it was a birthday party for a 13-year-old.
Police say a physical fight began, and then a single gunshot was heard causing several people in the banquet hall to flee into the street. As they exited, three additional people sustained minor injuries that were not related to gunfire.
The Connecticut State Police, Westport Police, Stratford Police, and Easton Police were called to assist with crowd control as Fairfield officers secured the crime scene.
This was an isolated incident, and all of the evidence indicates that the suspect knew the victim and fled the scene shortly after the shooting, according to police.
The Fairfield Police Detective Bureau and the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crimes Squad are investigating.
"Chief Robert Kalamaras and the entire Fairfield Police Department, we offer our most sincere condolences to Zion’s family. Our investigators are working diligently, pursuing several leads to apprehend the person(s) responsible," Fairfield Police said in a press release.
Anonymous tips can be submitted via the Fairfield PD mobile app or by texting the keyword FPDCT plus your message/tip to 847411 (Tip411). Tips can also be submitted online at fpdct.com/tips. (Note: When sending a tip by text message, text keyword FPDCT to 847411, add a space, type in your tip information, and hit send.)
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