The 15-year-old boy killed in Shelton may have been struck by a shotgun blast fired from about 150 feet away, sources told the Valley Independent Sentinel.
The “why” behind the shooting remains a mystery, as police are chasing down leads.
But, earlier this week, the investigation focused on a person who lives in the area of Agawam Trail, where Shelton High School sophomore Kristjan Ndoj was shot March 15.
Kristjan died at Bridgeport Hospital March 20 and was laid to rest March 27.
Shelton police previously said Kristjan was struck twice, in the leg and the head. The weapon was fired from a wooded area near 1 Agawam Trail.
At a press conference after the shooting, Shelton police said they seized evidence at the scene. The evidence would be processed by state police, but authorities haven’t commented on what evidence was collected and its status at the state police crime lab.
Kristjan did not live at 1 Agawam Trail, but police initially said that he was visiting friends on the road. He was struck down outside the home at around 8:45 p.m.
Theories Abound
The homeowners and neighbors on Agawam Trail would not talk to the Valley Indy.
Shelton police have been tight-lipped on the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the subsequent investigation, only saying they are following every lead that comes in.
Kristjan’s family told authorities that the boy had received a threat from a female classmate’s boyfriend before the shooting, but that information has not led to a suspect in the shooting, sources said.
The threat angle is one of several avenues police pursued after the crime.
Another theory revolves around whether a person in the neighborhood, for reasons unknown, fired a shotgun loaded with buckshot in Kristjan’s direction from a wooded path some 50 yards away. A friend who was standing near Kristjan was not injured.
The Valley Indy interviewed a gun shop owner Friday who didn’t want his name attached to this story. He said there are six different sizes of buckshot available.
Any type of buckshot fired within 150 feet could be deadly, especially if the person is hit in the head, the gun shop owner said.
Police have said several times they are investigating any tips that come in, but have been careful not to give one theory weight over another.
“We’re not releasing anything related to the bullets or the weapon at this point, “ Lt. Robert Kozlowsky, the department’s spokesman, said Thursday.
There are paths in the woods in the Agawam Trail area. Investigators from the State Environmental Conservation Police were brought in for their expertise in tracking projectiles and determined the shot was fired from a wooded area near the home.
State Police Take Over Investigation
Shelton police confirmed Thursday they are no longer in charge of the homicide investigation.
State police investigators are now the lead agency, per a request from Shelton Police Department Chief Joel Hurliman. City police are still assisting in the investigation.
Kozlowsky said the state police bring additional manpower and investigative resources to the table.
The Shelton police chief said the goal is to figure out what happened.
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care who solves it, just as long as it gets solved,” Hurliman said Thursday.
In several e‑mails to the Valley Indy, Lt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the state police, said investigators are actively working the case, and that the probe is progressing.
“There are leads and info being examined. Case is active,” Vance wrote.
The state police spokesman would not comment as to whether search warrants have been served in connection to the investigation.
“We don’t speak about specifics on open, active cases,” Vance wrote.
There are sealed documents of some kind related to the case on file at Superior Court in Derby.
While no homicide is routine, Kristjan’s youth makes the case unusual, coupled with the fact that a review of FBI Uniform Crime Reports shows this is Shelton’s first homicide since 1996.
A review of a database containing FBI supplemental homicide reports shows 32 males in Connecticut between the ages of 15 and 17 were killed by gunfire between 1992 and 2011.
During that 19-year stretch, 24 killings involved a single offender, most often a male between the ages of 18 and 24. Eight cases involved more than one offender.
Of the 32 homicides, 21 offenders were classified as an “acquaintance” of the victim, according to the FBI data. Nine cases involved shooters who were strangers, and two cases involved family members who committed the crime.
Police have asked that anyone with information about Kristjan’s shooting to call 203 924 1544.
Also, morning radio personalities from WPLR are raising money to offer a reward for information leading to an arrest.
