WORCESTER – A man who shot at police and tried to carjack drivers on I-190 in Worcester Wednesday afternoon was fatally shot after shooting himself, police said.
Both directions of I-190 were closed for nearly four hours after police chased the man, who was a suspect in an earlier fatal shooting in a nearby neighborhood.
The police arrived at a house on Heroultstraat around 2:20 p.m. and found a man with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
A short time later, a Massachusetts State Police officer approached a man acting suspiciously. Police say the man pulled out a gun, fired one round and then fled.
The gunman tried to carjack motorists on the highway
Police were then dispatched to northbound I-190 for a report of an armed man stopping traffic, pointing a gun at drivers and attempting to carjack them.
Scott Stevens
“In response to the imminent threat posed by the man, a Worcester police officer and a Massachusetts State Trooper discharged their firearms during the incident,” the Worcester Police Department said. “The man who was being chased turned his firearm on himself and shot himself.”
The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released.
Police said the man from the highway incident is believed to be the suspect in the Heroult Street shooting and there is no danger to the public.
The highway was closed near exit 2 and reopened around 7:40 p.m. Shocked neighbors arrived at an overpass to see investigators scouring the closed highway for clues, wondering what led to the chaos.
“This is very scary, it’s surreal,” said Cedric Saysay. “I’ve lived in Worcester for 40 years, went to school here, live here and work here. This is the first time I’ve seen this on this highway.”
Police asked anyone with video or information about the incident to call Worcester police.
Tammy Mutasa
