Mystery of Gunshot Sounds in Branford Solved; 81-Year-Old Charged: Branford Police

BRANFORD, CT — The ongoing mystery of gunshot sounds in Branford has now been solved, police said Tuesday.

Police said an 81-year-old local man was charged Monday night and later admitted to firing guns in town over the past 18 months.

Over the past eighteen months Branford police have responded to a number of complaints of gunshots in and around the Supply Pond, North Chestnut and North Main Street area, police said. The complaints were received by business owners and neighborhood residents. Officers investigating those complaints had only determined that a dark colored vehicle may have been involved, police said.

Monday night just after 7 p.m. police received another complaint from patrons of a restaurant on North Main Street that gunshots could be heard in the area of property currently under construction at 250 North Main Street, police said.

Sergeant Philip Ramey said when Officers Amber Radomski and Christopher Romanello arrived in the area, they located Howard Titus, 81, of Rose Street in a dark red vehicle, police said.

Sergeant Ramey said the officers interviewed Titus, who told them he had firearms in the trunk of the vehicle and that he was shooting the weapons at a dirt mound, police said.

Officers located two .22 caliber rifles and a .45 caliber handgun in Titus’s possession, police said. Titus later admitted to firing the weapons on a number of occasions at locations throughout the area, police said.

Titus was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and breach of peace. Titus, who had no prior criminal record, was released on a $2,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in New Haven Court on September 20.

Image via the Branford Police Department