Massachusetts father gunned down in confrontation with man painting graffiti: Police

A 57-year-old Massachusetts father was fatally shot on Thursday when he got into an altercation with a man he witnessed allegedly spray painting graffiti at his neighborhood park, authorities said.

The shooting erupted around 8:47 a.m. in Shrewsbury, about 35 miles west of Boston, prompting a lockdown of an elementary school near the scene of the crime and a response from SWAT teams and Massachusetts State Police troopers, officials said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

A 26-year-old man was arrested in the homicide following a three-hour manhunt, according to the Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.

Early said the victim had dropped his 6-year-old child off at school and was walking home when he spotted the suspect spray-painting graffiti on a bridge at Jordon Park in Shrewsbury,

The victim, whose name was not released, confronted the alleged vandal on the bridge, Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson said at Thursday’s news conference.

Early said that the victim took a picture of the alleged vandal, an act that appears to have escalated the confrontation.

During the heated dispute, the suspect allegedly pulled out a gun, shot the father multiple times and ran from the scene, Anderson said.

A man who was also walking his child to school witnessed the confrontation in progress and called 911, according to Anderson.

“While officers were responding, dispatch advised that they could actually hear shots on the 911 call. When officers arrived, they located a victim, provided medical attention, and that victim was transported to a local hospital, where, tragically, he died of his injuries,” Anderson said.

A search for the suspect was launched, prompting police to order a lockdown of nearby homes and at the Coolidge School as SWAT teams and state police troopers fanned out across the neighborhood, authorities said.

Around 11:45 a.m., the suspect was arrested after surrendering to police, Early said.

A search warrant was being executed Thursday evening at a home in Shrewsbury, where police believe the suspect went following the shooting, Early said.

The exterior of the house that was being searched was covered in graffiti, including the words “Ganga Gardens,” “Free Palestine” and “Free Congo,” ABC Boston affiliate WCVB reported.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.