West Hartford Shooting Leads To Attempted Murder Charge

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A Mansfield man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with shooting incident in West Hartford Wednesday night that left a person injured, police said.

At 9:05 p.m., the West Hartford Police Department received a 911 call reporting a shooting on Maplewood Avenue. The caller reported that a person at the residence had been shot and was in need of medical attention, police said.

West Hartford officers responded to the scene and quickly located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital by AMR ambulance with what appeared to be serious injuries, police said. There were several children in the residence at the time of the shooting, but they were not injured, police said.

The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, police said. The shooter was subsequently identified as Christon Mitchell, 32, of Mansfield.

Through what West Hartford authorities termed a "cooperative effort involving many agencies, including the Greater Hartford Auto Theft Task Force," Mitchell was located.

He attempted to flee officers in a vehicle, but as he traveled past the Farmington Police Department, officers deployed tire deflation devices which stopped the car, police said.

Mitchell was then taken into custody without further incident, by members of the West Hartford Police Department, authorities said.

Mitchell was charged with:

• Criminal attempt at murder
• First-degree assault with a firearm
• Home Invasion
• Risk of injury to a child (two counts)
• Criminal possession of a pistol/revolver
• Illegal discharge of a firearm
• First-degree threatening
• First-degree reckless endangerment

Police described Mitchell as a convicted felon on the Connecticut Deadly Weapon Registry who is currently on federal probation for previous weapons charges.

He was being held Thursday afternoon on a $2 million surety bond and is scheduled for his arraignment on Friday, police said.

The incident is still considered to be an active investigation.