Stamford Police: 'The Bullets Were Flying' on Myano Lane

The sunny Sunday afternoon on Stamford’s West Side was pierced by the sound of gunfire being exchanged between two rival groups of young men — gunfire that police miraculously didn’t hit anyone, including a driver whose car windshield was shattered by one of the bullets.

This is how Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin described the harrowing situation:

“It was about 5:05 p.m. Sunday when the dispatch switchboard began lighting up with people reporting ‘shots fired’ in the area of Connecticut Avenue and Myano Lane.”

“An eyewitness told officers that three or four young men ran through the front door of the apartment at 127 Myano Ln. which has been the epicenter of several of these situations. We’ve raided the place for drugs and wanted people numerous times,” Conklin said.

Officers recovered five shell casings that were fired from semi-automatic weapons including one that “shattered the windshield of a car whose driver who had nothing to do with this incident and just happened to be going by,” according to Conklin.

Another bullet flew a bedroom window of the apartment, hit a television set before exiting another window. The tire of a nearby parked vehicle also was blown out by a bullet.

“The bullets were flying as these two groups were exchanging gunfire,” Conklin said.

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After police were told by a witness that the shooters ran into 127 Myano Ln., the department’s Special Response Team and Hostage Negotiations Response Team were deployed “not knowing if there were any hostages inside,” Conklin said.

“The teams tried to negotiate but there was no response. It was sometime later after getting access to video of the rear of the building that showed them running out the back door into a secluded area,” Conklin said.

So police then searched the apartment and recovered about 1 ½ ounces of marijuana “that was packaged for sale,” Conklin added.
“We’re extremely lucky that no one was hurt. Unfortunately this is happening too often. It’s very concerning because the parties involved are in their late teens, early 20s and if this keeps up, their luck will run out,” Conklin said.

The rival groups involve young men from the Connecticut Avenue-Myano Lane area and Stillwater Avenue. Previous rivalries involving the Connecticut Avenue-Myano Lane group involved residents from the Spruce Street area. Conklin said they’re not organized gangs per se, rather groups of young men involved in drugs and gunplay.

There were three shootings in early December. On Dec. 2, one man’s scalp was grazed by a bullet leaving him with what Conklin described as “a permanent part in his hair from his forehead to the end of his scalp.” After that incident police recovered a couple handguns hidden in bushes along Myano Lane. One of the shootings prompted a lockdown of the nearby Westover School, Conklin said.

Conklin said police have the identities of some of those involved in the shootings but not enough evidence yet to bring charges. “The young man living at 127 Myano has been arrested for drugs and gun violations,” Conklin said. He would not identify him.

The apartment is in the Rippowam Park apartments, a public-private complex, and management “certainly is looking into eviction” of the resident,” according to Conklin.

Stamford Police were at the scene of the Sunday incident until about 10 p.m. “We had quite a few resources tied up with this,” Conklin added.

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