In an alarming turn of events in Rhode Island, an argument sparked by accusations of voyeurism resulted in a fatal shooting that left two people dead and a teenager injured.
The suspected shooter, identified as 52-year-old James Harrison, was later shot dead by police. His death followed a vehicular pursuit and police standoff near the boundary between Johnston and Cranston.
The victims’ identities have not been disclosed, but inside sources reveal one of the deceased to be Harrison’s mother, his housemate at 4 Ligian Court. Police reports state that the second casualty was an adult from 2 Ligian Court, the property adjacent to Harrison’s.
A 15-year-old girl from the same address sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and is currently recuperating in a local hospital. Her connection to the other individuals involved remains unclear.
Preliminary reports suggest that the deadly event may have been triggered earlier in the week when Harrison was spotted peering into a neighbor’s window. Authorities were alerted to his residence shortly after midnight on Tuesday, but Harrison declined to engage with the responding officers.
On Wednesday morning, at around 7:30 a.m., a loud noise startled a local resident who then noticed Harrison departing his home, soon followed by an influx of emergency responders into the neighborhood. Johnston Police Chief Mark Vieira confirmed that his department responded to two emergency calls concerning gunfire around the same time, one of them originating from 2 Ligian Court.
A bulletin was soon dispatched alerting officers to be on the lookout for Harrison. An off-duty officer managed to locate Harrison’s vehicle in a cemetery. Upon arrival of additional officers, Harrison allegedly charged at them with his car, almost colliding with the police vehicles and setting off a vehicular pursuit.
The high-speed chase ensued on Plainfield Pike, during which Harrison reportedly drove erratically and struck a Cranston police cruiser. His attempted escape ended when he crashed into a rock after jumping the center median. Police quickly surrounded his vehicle and commanded him to exit.
After a tense standoff, Harrison emerged and aimed a firearm at the officers, prompting them to respond with lethal force. Harrison was pronounced dead at the scene.
No police officers were reportedly injured during the encounter, although several were taken to local hospitals for routine evaluations following the high-stakes incident.