Sandy Hook Man Arrested In Gunfire Incident Near NHS

By Andrew Gorosko

Responding to a report of a man handling a rifle in the vicinity of Newtown High School, waves of town police and state police went to the area about noon on Friday, March 31, blocking off Berkshire Road and focusing their investigation at the man’s house across the street from the high school.

Police later arrested Kevin Fitzgerald, 46, of 21 Berkshire Road, charging him with second-degree reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and breach of peace.

Police Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik said this week that police had received a report that there was “a man in a van with a rifle” sitting in the parked vehicle with its open door across Berkshire Road from the high school.

A female witness alerted a passing mailman who contacted police with that information, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. There were no injuries in the incident.

On learning of the situation, School Superintendent Evan Pitkoff, who was about a mile away at the time at Reed Intermediate School, ordered that all seven public schools enter “lockdown” status as a precautionary measure for the safety of students. The lockdown was in effect briefly, until it became clear that possible danger had passed.

Lockdown requires all students to go to predetermined secure areas in the schools and be locked inside until a crisis passes.

While police were responding to the high school area, it was reported that the man in the van had pulled into the driveway at 21 Berkshire Road, police said.

The first police officer who arrived there heard a shot being fired, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. Fitzgerald allegedly shot a bullet into a tree on his property, police said.

About ten town police officers and several state troopers arrived at the scene and sealed off the area.

The 3030 rifle used by Fitzgerald was found and seized at his home, police said.

Police held Fitzgerald on $10,000 bail until 10:45 pm that night, when he was released on bond for an April 11 arraignment in Danbury Superior Court.

When confronted by police, Fitzgerald surrendered without incident and was compliant, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. “The situation dissolved very quickly…It was a situation that went well,” he added.

Fitzgerald had exited his home and approached police on foot, after which he was taken into custody, police said. Police handcuffed Fitzgerald’s hands behind his back and had him lie face down on the ground before transporting him to the police station for arrest processing.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said this week the massive police response to the incident was justified because the reports that police received involved an “unknown situation.”

“It was an unknown situation…It’s better to be safe,” he said.

“We worked very closely with school officials to make sure all children were safe,” Chief Kehoe said.

Dr Pitkoff said this week that while he was at Reed School and learned of the unfolding situation from Police Youth Officer Dana Schubert, he decided that it would be prudent to place all seven public schools in the lockdown mode.

“A few minutes later, we were told the situation was under control,” he added, noting that the lockdown was then lifted.

In such a lockdown, any students who are outdoors are brought into school buildings, which are then locked for security reasons, he said. Neither entry into nor exit from the buildings is allowed.

Lockdown drills at the schools are conducted occasionally, he said.

As a result of the March 31 incident, school officials are planning a system through which local private and parochial schools, as well as preschools, would be notified by telephone in the event that there is an emergency in which the public schools are in lockdown mode, Dr Pitkoff said.

Of the March 31 incident, Dr Pitkoff said, “The bottom line is everyone was safe.”