Man Killed In Parkville Area Of Hartford Wednesday

HARTFORD, CT — A man has been shot dead in the Parkville section of town near where a suspected carjacker was shot and killed in a botched carjacking on Monday.

According to WVIT Channel 30, the male victim identified as 24-year-old Andre Gaston, of Hartford, was shot and killed during a drug transaction early Wednesday morning on Orange Street, near his residence.

In a press briefing at the scene, Hartford Police Chief Jason Brody — seen via the WVIT's website — said this homicide appears to be drug-related.

As for the incident on Monday in Parkville, that was an attempted carjacking, Thody said, adding it is coincidental the two homicides happened in a popular neighborhood that is getting more and more visitors.

"They're on close proximity to each other, but they had nothing to do with each other," Thody on the Parkville proximity. "Monday's was an attempted carjack and this clearly had something to do with narcotics. It's unfortunate in this area."

Thody said there were, at least, two shooters in a car as well as a driver. He said the vehicle was found in a nearby town on fire, which Thody said was deliberate.

The Parkville neighborhood is home to the well-known Parkville Market, an international food-theme destination that regularly draws crowds locally and from out of town.

As for the homicides on Monday and early Wednesday morning, Thody said they represent a growing trend locally, statewide and nationally — namely, an uptick in violent crime.

He said a year ago, Hartford had 29 homicides at this time. This year, he said, there have been 34.

Thody did say that most of the incidents are "personal disputes," meaning the victims are targeted by the suspects and are not random acts.

That, Thody said, appears to be the case with this particular homicide.

"It's not just Hartford. It's all over the place. It's something the nation is dealing with. Violent crime is up, unfortunately," Thody said.

For the full WVIT Channel 30 report, click on this link.