Cheshire shooting - A 48-year-old man, who shot and killed his son and later committed suicide in his Cornwall home on Tuesday afternoon, has been identified.
Christopher P. Settembri was found with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound only a few moments after police had found the body of his 19-year-old son Christopher A. Settembri downstairs.
Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe said the circumstances surrounding the Cheshire shooting is unclear. According to him, the police received a call from the 772 Cornwall Ave. home sometime around 4:00 p.m. after Holly Settembri returned home and found the body of her son and her husband.
In a press release on Wednesday, officials explained that Settembri shot and killed his son before also taking his own life. Dryfe said there was no suicide notes or immediate evidence to explain the Cheshire shooting.
"Any death like this is a horrible horrible tragedy," he said. "But in the immediate lead up to Christmas. I think it brings it to a head even more."
While authorities are looking into the Cheshire shooting, Dryfe assured the public that the threat, which was restricted to the Cornwall Ave. home, has been contained. "There's no continuing danger to the public," he told the press. "We believe that we have everyone in the involved accounted for."
Reports indicate that the Settembri family numbered up to five or six prior to the Cheshire shooting, according to neighbors. Although they were reportedly very well known in the area and liked, at least one neighbor has described the family as troubled and says she ought to keep a distance from them. It is unclear what may have generated this perspective and subsequent reaction.
Many neighbors have expressed sadness and shock over the news of the Cheshire shooting. Some routes in the area were momentarily closed on Tuesday as police officers cordoned off the Cornwall home, which is near the Doolittle Elementary School. Reports indicate that the management of the school provided grief counselors for students on Wednesday.
