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Alleged bully facing attempted murder charges
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WEST HARTFORD – A 17-year-old Conard High School student accused of bullying is facing attempted murder charges after a possibly gang-related shooting on Abbotsford Avenue last week.
For weeks, the 17-year-old boy in the alternative education program at Conard allegedly harassed a 16-year-old girl.
The sophomore girl, who transferred to Conard from a Hartford school in January, was continuously bullied and picked on at her new school, her mother has said. After a while, some of her attacker’s friends joined in, the mother said.
On March 29, the group of teens – reportedly members of the New Britain Avenue street gang – went to the girl’s house on Abbotsford Avenue in the Elmwood section of town. The problems escalated, and the girl’s mother called some relatives for help, then called the police at the department’s routine number. LISTEN TO THE CALL HERE
"The same kids that are messing with my daughter in school are coming around my house, threatening me and my children," Quintina Texidor told police during the call shortly before 3 p.m. on March 29. “They are looking to jump on my daughter.”
Help from the police took almost an hour to arrive, and only after the mother’s second phone call, also to the routine number, not the emergency number – 911.
The police department is investigating why it took so long to get the woman help. Despite using the non-emergency number, police should still have been at the scene in about 10 minutes, officials said.
"The problem has escalated," the mother said during her second call. “There’s a crew of little kids who claim to be NBA who are threatening me and my family.” LISTEN TO THE SECOND CALL HERE
Just minutes later, 21-year-old Wilfredo Texidor was shot. He was immediately taken to Hartford Hospital, before police or emergency officials arrived at the scene. On Tuesday, an official said the victim, who is a relative of the bullied 16-year-old girl, was in rehabilitation and had been released from the emergency department.
Five Conard students and a Hartford teen were arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the shooting. The accused shooter, a 17-year-old juvenile offender not identified due to his age, faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. Continued...
For weeks, the 17-year-old boy in the alternative education program at Conard allegedly harassed a 16-year-old girl.
The sophomore girl, who transferred to Conard from a Hartford school in January, was continuously bullied and picked on at her new school, her mother has said. After a while, some of her attacker’s friends joined in, the mother said.
On March 29, the group of teens – reportedly members of the New Britain Avenue street gang – went to the girl’s house on Abbotsford Avenue in the Elmwood section of town. The problems escalated, and the girl’s mother called some relatives for help, then called the police at the department’s routine number. LISTEN TO THE CALL HERE
"The same kids that are messing with my daughter in school are coming around my house, threatening me and my children," Quintina Texidor told police during the call shortly before 3 p.m. on March 29. “They are looking to jump on my daughter.”
Help from the police took almost an hour to arrive, and only after the mother’s second phone call, also to the routine number, not the emergency number – 911.
The police department is investigating why it took so long to get the woman help. Despite using the non-emergency number, police should still have been at the scene in about 10 minutes, officials said.
"The problem has escalated," the mother said during her second call. “There’s a crew of little kids who claim to be NBA who are threatening me and my family.” LISTEN TO THE SECOND CALL HERE
Just minutes later, 21-year-old Wilfredo Texidor was shot. He was immediately taken to Hartford Hospital, before police or emergency officials arrived at the scene. On Tuesday, an official said the victim, who is a relative of the bullied 16-year-old girl, was in rehabilitation and had been released from the emergency department.
Five Conard students and a Hartford teen were arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the shooting. The accused shooter, a 17-year-old juvenile offender not identified due to his age, faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. Continued...
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Police reportedly found a small, semi-automatic pistol about a block from the shooting scene. The serial number had been scratched off.
“It was a fairly cheap, small-caliber handgun,” Police Chief Jim Strillacci said Tuesday.
It is unclear where the 17-year-old shooter got his hands on the pistol, but he reportedly told police he purchased it.
“It was bought on the street, not a legitimate outlet,” Strillacci said.
Police are tracing the gun via the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the retailer and the purchasers on record to see if they can track how the weapon ended up in the hands of a teenager.
Andre Cooke, 18, of 62 S. Quaker Lane; Marcus Stevens, 18, of 91 Red Top Drive; and Justin Reyes, 18, of 156 Dart St., Hartford, are each being charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Two other 17-year-old youthful offenders face similar charges, officials said.
Police confirmed they are looking into reports that the shooting was gang related, but said it’s very difficult to confirm gang membership among youth.
“Youths gangs are not like our organization with uniforms, ID cards, standard hierarchy and rules,” Strillacci said. “Conforming gang membership is not an exact science.”
Police are also investigating why it took so long to respond to Abbotsford Avenue.
“Our average call time is under 10 minutes, and that’s for a routine call, not an emergency,” Strillacci said. “This was clearly not our standard.” Continued...
“It was a fairly cheap, small-caliber handgun,” Police Chief Jim Strillacci said Tuesday.
It is unclear where the 17-year-old shooter got his hands on the pistol, but he reportedly told police he purchased it.
“It was bought on the street, not a legitimate outlet,” Strillacci said.
Police are tracing the gun via the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the retailer and the purchasers on record to see if they can track how the weapon ended up in the hands of a teenager.
Andre Cooke, 18, of 62 S. Quaker Lane; Marcus Stevens, 18, of 91 Red Top Drive; and Justin Reyes, 18, of 156 Dart St., Hartford, are each being charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Two other 17-year-old youthful offenders face similar charges, officials said.
Police confirmed they are looking into reports that the shooting was gang related, but said it’s very difficult to confirm gang membership among youth.
“Youths gangs are not like our organization with uniforms, ID cards, standard hierarchy and rules,” Strillacci said. “Conforming gang membership is not an exact science.”
Police are also investigating why it took so long to respond to Abbotsford Avenue.
“Our average call time is under 10 minutes, and that’s for a routine call, not an emergency,” Strillacci said. “This was clearly not our standard.” Continued...
The department is looking at who handled the calls and how they were handled to make sure this does not happen again, the police chief said.
School officials at Conard have said they only received a report about bullying in the morning of March 29, the same day as the shooting. A school investigation is under way, Conard Principal Peter Cummings told the Hartford Courant, and police confirmed that detectives were sent to the school to brief officials on what happened.
“It is the policy of the West Hartford Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited,” reads the public school bullying policy adopted in 2009. “Such behavior is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.”
Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and including expulsion in accordance with the school board's policy on student discipline, the policy reads.
WHBullyingBehavior
School officials at Conard have said they only received a report about bullying in the morning of March 29, the same day as the shooting. A school investigation is under way, Conard Principal Peter Cummings told the Hartford Courant, and police confirmed that detectives were sent to the school to brief officials on what happened.
“It is the policy of the West Hartford Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited,” reads the public school bullying policy adopted in 2009. “Such behavior is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.”
Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and including expulsion in accordance with the school board's policy on student discipline, the policy reads.
WHBullyingBehavior
WEST HARTFORD – A 17-year-old Conard High School student accused of bullying is facing attempted murder charges after a possibly gang-related shooting on Abbotsford Avenue last week.
For weeks, the 17-year-old boy in the alternative education program at Conard allegedly harassed a 16-year-old girl.
The sophomore girl, who transferred to Conard from a Hartford school in January, was continuously bullied and picked on at her new school, her mother has said. After a while, some of her attacker’s friends joined in, the mother said.
On March 29, the group of teens – reportedly members of the New Britain Avenue street gang – went to the girl’s house on Abbotsford Avenue in the Elmwood section of town. The problems escalated, and the girl’s mother called some relatives for help, then called the police at the department’s routine number. LISTEN TO THE CALL HERE
"The same kids that are messing with my daughter in school are coming around my house, threatening me and my children," Quintina Texidor told police during the call shortly before 3 p.m. on March 29. “They are looking to jump on my daughter.”
Help from the police took almost an hour to arrive, and only after the mother’s second phone call, also to the routine number, not the emergency number – 911.
The police department is investigating why it took so long to get the woman help. Despite using the non-emergency number, police should still have been at the scene in about 10 minutes, officials said.
"The problem has escalated," the mother said during her second call. “There’s a crew of little kids who claim to be NBA who are threatening me and my family.” LISTEN TO THE SECOND CALL HERE
Just minutes later, 21-year-old Wilfredo Texidor was shot. He was immediately taken to Hartford Hospital, before police or emergency officials arrived at the scene. On Tuesday, an official said the victim, who is a relative of the bullied 16-year-old girl, was in rehabilitation and had been released from the emergency department.
Five Conard students and a Hartford teen were arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the shooting. The accused shooter, a 17-year-old juvenile offender not identified due to his age, faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana.
Police reportedly found a small, semi-automatic pistol about a block from the shooting scene. The serial number had been scratched off.
“It was a fairly cheap, small-caliber handgun,” Police Chief Jim Strillacci said Tuesday.
It is unclear where the 17-year-old shooter got his hands on the pistol, but he reportedly told police he purchased it.
“It was bought on the street, not a legitimate outlet,” Strillacci said.
Police are tracing the gun via the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the retailer and the purchasers on record to see if they can track how the weapon ended up in the hands of a teenager.
Andre Cooke, 18, of 62 S. Quaker Lane; Marcus Stevens, 18, of 91 Red Top Drive; and Justin Reyes, 18, of 156 Dart St., Hartford, are each being charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Two other 17-year-old youthful offenders face similar charges, officials said.
Police confirmed they are looking into reports that the shooting was gang related, but said it’s very difficult to confirm gang membership among youth.
“Youths gangs are not like our organization with uniforms, ID cards, standard hierarchy and rules,” Strillacci said. “Conforming gang membership is not an exact science.”
Police are also investigating why it took so long to respond to Abbotsford Avenue.
“Our average call time is under 10 minutes, and that’s for a routine call, not an emergency,” Strillacci said. “This was clearly not our standard.”
The department is looking at who handled the calls and how they were handled to make sure this does not happen again, the police chief said.
School officials at Conard have said they only received a report about bullying in the morning of March 29, the same day as the shooting. A school investigation is under way, Conard Principal Peter Cummings told the Hartford Courant, and police confirmed that detectives were sent to the school to brief officials on what happened.
“It is the policy of the West Hartford Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited,” reads the public school bullying policy adopted in 2009. “Such behavior is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.”
Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and including expulsion in accordance with the school board's policy on student discipline, the policy reads.
WHBullyingBehavior
For weeks, the 17-year-old boy in the alternative education program at Conard allegedly harassed a 16-year-old girl.
The sophomore girl, who transferred to Conard from a Hartford school in January, was continuously bullied and picked on at her new school, her mother has said. After a while, some of her attacker’s friends joined in, the mother said.
On March 29, the group of teens – reportedly members of the New Britain Avenue street gang – went to the girl’s house on Abbotsford Avenue in the Elmwood section of town. The problems escalated, and the girl’s mother called some relatives for help, then called the police at the department’s routine number. LISTEN TO THE CALL HERE
"The same kids that are messing with my daughter in school are coming around my house, threatening me and my children," Quintina Texidor told police during the call shortly before 3 p.m. on March 29. “They are looking to jump on my daughter.”
Help from the police took almost an hour to arrive, and only after the mother’s second phone call, also to the routine number, not the emergency number – 911.
The police department is investigating why it took so long to get the woman help. Despite using the non-emergency number, police should still have been at the scene in about 10 minutes, officials said.
"The problem has escalated," the mother said during her second call. “There’s a crew of little kids who claim to be NBA who are threatening me and my family.” LISTEN TO THE SECOND CALL HERE
Just minutes later, 21-year-old Wilfredo Texidor was shot. He was immediately taken to Hartford Hospital, before police or emergency officials arrived at the scene. On Tuesday, an official said the victim, who is a relative of the bullied 16-year-old girl, was in rehabilitation and had been released from the emergency department.
Five Conard students and a Hartford teen were arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the shooting. The accused shooter, a 17-year-old juvenile offender not identified due to his age, faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana.
Police reportedly found a small, semi-automatic pistol about a block from the shooting scene. The serial number had been scratched off.
“It was a fairly cheap, small-caliber handgun,” Police Chief Jim Strillacci said Tuesday.
It is unclear where the 17-year-old shooter got his hands on the pistol, but he reportedly told police he purchased it.
“It was bought on the street, not a legitimate outlet,” Strillacci said.
Police are tracing the gun via the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the retailer and the purchasers on record to see if they can track how the weapon ended up in the hands of a teenager.
Andre Cooke, 18, of 62 S. Quaker Lane; Marcus Stevens, 18, of 91 Red Top Drive; and Justin Reyes, 18, of 156 Dart St., Hartford, are each being charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Two other 17-year-old youthful offenders face similar charges, officials said.
Police confirmed they are looking into reports that the shooting was gang related, but said it’s very difficult to confirm gang membership among youth.
“Youths gangs are not like our organization with uniforms, ID cards, standard hierarchy and rules,” Strillacci said. “Conforming gang membership is not an exact science.”
Police are also investigating why it took so long to respond to Abbotsford Avenue.
“Our average call time is under 10 minutes, and that’s for a routine call, not an emergency,” Strillacci said. “This was clearly not our standard.”
The department is looking at who handled the calls and how they were handled to make sure this does not happen again, the police chief said.
School officials at Conard have said they only received a report about bullying in the morning of March 29, the same day as the shooting. A school investigation is under way, Conard Principal Peter Cummings told the Hartford Courant, and police confirmed that detectives were sent to the school to brief officials on what happened.
“It is the policy of the West Hartford Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited,” reads the public school bullying policy adopted in 2009. “Such behavior is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.”
Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and including expulsion in accordance with the school board's policy on student discipline, the policy reads.
WHBullyingBehavior
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