NEW HAVEN, Conn. — An off-duty New Haven firefighter injured by gunfire on Saturday has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, police said Monday.
New Haven fire, American Medical Response, New Haven police and Hamden police responded at approximately 7:15 p.m Saturday to a 911 call of a person shot outside a residence on Shelton Avenue between Read Street and the Hamden line near Goodrich Street.
Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Steven Cousin said he was informed that the victim had been walking to a convenience store when he heard gunshots and then realized he had been hit. Cousin said the firefighter appears to have been an innocent bystander.
Arriving emergency medical responders treated the gunshot victim on scene and an ambulance transported the 28-year-old New Haven man to Yale New Haven Hospital. New Haven and Hamden officers located evidence of gunfire in the roadway and on the sidewalk. Officers held a crime scene on a portion of Shelton Avenue in New Haven and Hamden.
New Haven Police Department Major Crimes detectives canvassed the neighborhood Saturday night and Sunday morning.
“My office was notified immediately by the dispatchers at the Public Safety Access Point,” New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said. “We were shocked to hear of the incident and are grateful for the rapid emergency medical services provided to our member.
“A special thank you to the members of New Haven Fire Department Engine 8, the New Haven Police Department, Public Safety Access Point, and Hamden Medic Matt Kellick. The members of Engine 8 were placed off-duty after this ordeal, to assist them with processing the stress and trauma of responding to a critical emergency involving one of our own.
“This highlights our concerns and frustrations with gun violence in our city. We are grateful our member is stable. We are here to support him and his family during this trying time of trauma and healing. Our prayers are for a speedy recovery,” Alston said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304. Callers may remain anonymous.
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