New Haven police make arrests following deadly shooting, shots fired incidents

NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - More than a dozen shots fired near a school, and one day later, a deadly shooting on the other side of town between.  Two separate incidents but the chief and mayor say it’s one common theme, so many illegal guns.

“I was planting tomatoes or something, outside, just walk in, hear the percussion, ran out and it was big mess,” said Jose DeJesus of New Haven.

And this is what DeJesus saw outside his condo in New Haven’s Hill neighborhood. Shell casings near the John C Daniels School following a broad daylight shootout last Wednesday afternoon.

Police say people in one car, started shooting at another. Fortunately, no one was hit. The next day, police caught up with two men, Tasheem Scott and Denzel Caldwell.

“We do believe these individuals were involved in the shootout in that area the day before,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

Police say the pair were in a stolen car, and during a brief pursuit, threw two guns and a bag a fentanyl out the window.

“That one day, you had a homicide, this chase, two car jackings and another recovered stolen car with a bunch of juveniles in it,” said Jacobson. “All taking place within a three-hour window.  Every single cop in this building was out there, working hard.”

That homicide was on Forbes Ave. in the annex neighborhood. According to police, Charles Brown of Clinton, shot and killed Juan Carlos Colon of East Hartford following an argument over their shared business.

“We have seized more guns this year to date, not even close to last year,” Jacobson stated. “Last year was a record year for seized guns, so we are like the rest of the nation, seeing people that I would call minor disputes, ending up in gun play where people are killed.”

So far, the chief says they’ve taken 114 guns off the street in the first four months of 2023, compared to 80 last year. But both he and Jose know there are plenty still out there.

“You have some person, has a beef with another person and they’re just open fire,” said DeJesus. “You know, no regards to everyone’s life.  Its harrowing, it’s scary.”

And the chief adds, one of the guns they say Caldwell and Scott had in the car with them was tested and is connected to a previous shooting here in the Elm City.