WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A man with a gun shot one man in a Worcester neighborhood and later shot himself after trying to carjack motorists on I-190 Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The first shooting happened on Heroult Road near 2:20 p.m. Worcester police in a statement said officers then responded to I-190 near 3:20 p.m.
The man who was shot on Heroult Road was pronounced dead due to his injuries. The alleged gunman also died after turning his gun on himself, according to police.
SKY7-HD spotted a significant police presence on Heroult Road as investigators combed through the area around a home and spoke with several people.
Brian Piekos told 7NEWS his daughters had just got off the school bus when they heard the sound of gunfire.
“They saw a gentleman drop some items. They thought it was money and keys. He picked it up. They heard pop, pop, pop,” Piekos said.
Piekos said his children ran to get him. He then came outside to see what was happening and saw a man using two cell phones while walking down the road.
“My daughter said ‘Oh, that might be the guy,’” Piekos said. “So, we decided just to go home.”
Worcester police said a state police trooper spotted a man acting suspiciously after the Heroult Road shooting.
Police said the man brandished a gun and fired one round. When the trooper ordered the man to drop the weapon, he instead fled the scene.
While investigators continued to work around Heroult Road, police were also called to the northbound side of I-190 after they received a report of an armed man stopping traffic and pointing a gun at passing cars.
Worcester police said law enforcement officials chased the man on foot.
“In response to the imminent threat posed by the male, a Worcester Police officer and a Massachusetts State Trooper discharged their firearms during the incident,” police said. “The man being pursued turned his firearm on himself and shot himself.”
As of Wednesday night, police said investigators believe the man from the I-190 incident was the same person behind the deadly Heroult Road shooting.
The shooting remained under investigation and police asked anyone with information to contact authorities.
Police closed I-190 in both directions Wednesday afternoon, prompting major traffic delays.
At one point, a 7NEWS camera spotted authorities walking side by side in an apparent search for evidence along the side of the highway.
SKY7-HD spotted crews still on scene near 4:45 p.m. Police had stretched caution tape across the entire width of I-190. By 5 p.m., several evidence markers were in place.
In one spot, troopers were directing drivers to use a highway onramp to get out of the traffic jam.
Traffic troubles continued past 6 p.m. as I-190 remained closed, with backups extending onto backroads throughout the Worcester area.
In a post on X near 7:30 p.m., the state Department of Transportation said all lanes of I-190 had reopened.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)