Shooting suspect found deceased; precautionary measures lifted in Woodstock
UPDATE FROM WEDNESDAY 6/15, 1 AM:
Jay Wilson, the suspect in a fatal shooting Tuesday afternoon at 13 Slayton Terrace in Woodstock Village, was located late Tuesday night deceased inside the house.
Precautionary measures that had been in place for residents of the area have been lifted.
Members of the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit discovered Wilson’s body with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound after 11 p.m. while searching the house room by room following a multiple-hour effort to persuade Wilson to leave the residence. TSU members reported hearing a gunshot after they made entry into the home. Police believed Wilson had been in the house since early afternoon, but his whereabouts were unconfirmed until the search of the home was completed. No one else was located inside.
Throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening, police attempted to communicate with anyone who might have been in the house, including by loudspeaker and by calling Wilson’s cellphone. After those efforts were unsuccessful, the Vermont State Police deployed a number of alternative tactics, such as devices that emit a percussive noise and a bright light, and then irritant gas, designed to encourage an occupant of a residence to come out or make contact with the police. Those approaches also produced no response from Wilson.
The police investigation into this incident remains in its early stages. Now that the area has been cleared and deemed safe, members of VSP’s Crime Scene Search Team will begin processing the scene. This work will continue Tuesday night and Wednesday. The bodies of Wilson and the victim he is believed to have shot — an adult man who is friends with his mother — will be transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for autopsies to determine the cause and manner of their deaths.
Police will release the identity of the shooting victim following notification and next of kin. On Wednesday, VSP will release the name of the Woodstock police officer involved in an exchange of gunfire with Wilson at the outset of this incident. Per standard protocol, when the Vermont State Police investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the State’s Attorney’s Office for independent reviews of the police officer’s use of force.
The Vermont State Police worked closely with members of the Woodstock and Hartford police departments and the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department during the response to this incident, along with the Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office. Fire department and rescue crews from the area also provided critical assistance.
VSP thanks members of the public for their cooperation as the situation developed throughout Tuesday afternoon and night.
The state police will continue providing updates as the case proceeds.
FROM TUESDAY 6/14, 9 PM:
Vermont State Police are searching for a Woodstock man who is a suspect in a shooting that took place in the village Tuesday afternoon. State Police have confirmed that 1 person died in the incident.
Anyone living near 13 Slayton Terrace in Woodstock Village is asked to shelter in place until further notice, and the rest of the public should avoid that area, police said.
Police have identified the suspect as Jay Wilson, 45, of Woodstock. Anyone with information about Wilson’s whereabouts is asked to call the State Police in Royalton at 802-234-9933, or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit. A photo of Wilson is visible at this link to the State Police website.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, State Police search efforts remained focused on the area where the shooting took place at 13 Slayton Terrace in Woodstock Village, according to Adam Silverman, public information officer for the State Police. Silverman said police believe the suspect may still be in the house, but as of 9 p.m. this wasn’t confirmed. With that, they’re asking people in the community to keep a watchful eye.
“We encourage people to be vigilant,” Silverman said. “People know what this individual looks like, but (if you see him) immediately call the police, don’t approach him.”
The investigation so far indicates this shooting was a “targeted incident” with a focus on specific people, Silverman added.
The situation began at about 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, when Woodstock police responded to a report of a shooting outside 13 Slayton Terrace. The first officer on scene was fired upon from the vicinity of the house, and returned fire, a state police statement said. The officer was uninjured. It is unknown whether the individual who fired suffered any injuries in the exchange of gunfire. Police then established a perimeter and called additional resources to respond.
Since 5:30 p.m., members of the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit and Crisis Negotiation Unit have been operating in the vicinity of 13 Slayton Terrace. Members of the public should continue to expect a large and active police presence in the area this evening, according to state police.
— Gareth Henderson
