Three women were shot during an incident that took place Thursday morning in Westerly. State police have confirmed that one of the victims, age 47, was killed.
According to police, the shooter, a 66-year-old man, was a resident at Babcock Village where the shooting took place. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
As of Thursday afternoon, one person was receiving treatment at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence as a result of the shooting. Another person was receiving treatment at Westerly Hospital. Details including gender, age and condition of the patients had not been released.
Westerly Public Schools were quickly placed on lockdown, along with the local library, the emergency services department at Westerly Hospital. Later in the afternoon, Westerly High School announced that the lockdown would lift and students would be released by 1:30, though all after school activities were cancelled.
In addition to local police, Rhode Island National Guard, and State Police SWAT teams responded to the shooting.
The shooting took place at Babcock Village located on Cross Street in Westerly, a housing complex that serves the elderly. In a statement, Property Advisory Group, the Providence-based real estate company that owns Babcock Village said they were working with authorities to address the situation.
"We are shocked and saddened that this tragedy has occurred. Our priority, as always, is the safety of our residents and staff," the company statement read.
Local Westerly business owner Steve Cersosimo spent part of Thursday locked down in his photo store behind the Babcock Village Apartments.
"All I have seen at this point is many police vehicles, helicopters are combing the area, I saw a lot of ambulances go by," Cerosimo said. "And, as of now, all of us in this parking lot have our doors locked."
Sursasamo said traffic to the apartment complex is blocked off and most people are staying out of the area. The town of Westerly is a beachfront community on the Connecticut border.