EAST HARTFORD, Conn — Two teenagers are dead after they forced their way into a home in East Hartford and were shot earlier this week, police said.
According to officials, the two teens entered the home and were shot in the living room. Police were called to the home just after midnight.
One of the teens was a 16-year-old male from Hartford and the other was a 15-year-old male from Meriden. Police have not released the names of the teens at this time.
Police said both teens were rushed to nearby hospitals where they were pronounced dead.
Police said the teens went into the home and physically attacked the resident, who was armed with a handgun and fired. The resident suffered minor injuries in the attack. The gun was registered to the resident and he is cooperating with police, officials said.
"As of this time the only weapon recovered on scene was the homeowners," said Officer Marc Caruso of the East Hartford Police Department.
Police described the incident as a "targeted home invasion" but are still trying to determine what led up to it.
"It appears as though the homeowner had no knowledge of his attackers," Caruso said. "We're looking into several possibilities. The detectives are tracking down leads at this time," he said.
Connecticut does not have a "stand your ground law." Kenneth Gray, a former FBI agent and senior lecturer at the University of New Haven, said that means a person must first try to get away from the threat before using deadly force.
"You are justified in using self-defense to include a firearm if you fear for your life or the life of a third person but it's not totally unrestricted. By that I mean if the person is threatening you, you can use deadly force but if you have other options for instance if you can run away, you have to run away," he said.
"We're treating this as a home invasion type incident where two males came into the home. And it appears to be a case of self-defense at this time, where the homeowner was a legal owner of the firearm," Caruso said.
Hartford Public Schools released a statement regarding the teens' deaths:
On Thursday, June 16, 2022, we were informed of the deaths of two former Hartford Public School students. This is an unfortunate and tragic incident, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of members of our Hartford Public Schools community. We are prepared to provide proper support and resources for students and staff affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with our former students’ families, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at mmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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