Hartford police are investigating two homicides in an eight-hour span and trying to determine whether they are connected.
William Prieto, 32, of Hartford, was killed just before midnight Tuesday while sitting on his porch on South Prospect Street. Prieto's girlfriend was a witness and said the gunman fired several shots and fled the scene.
Before police left the scene on South Prospect Street, they received 911 calls about another shooting six miles away.
Police said Desmond Wright, 32, of West Morning Side Street in Hartford, was shot in the head on Pershing Street shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Police believe Wright was shot while walking down the street. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at 8:36 a.m.
Investigators are working to determine if the shootings are linked, but Hartford police spokesman Deputy Chief Brian Foley said at this point, there's no indication they are connected.
Hartford police said Prieto was on federal parole and Wright had an active arrest warrant for violation of probation at the time they were killed.
U.S. & World
Already this year, there have been more homicides in Hartford than in all of 2014, when 19 people were killed. Last year was one of only two years in the past decide with a homicide rate under 20.
The city's homicide rate hit 45 in 2003.
