A Vermont municipal worker, his wife and son were found shot to death in their home over the weekend, state police said.
Police identified them Tuesday as Pawlet City Council member Brian Crossman, 46; Erica Crossman, 41; and Colin Taft, 13. The town of about 1,400 people is near the New York state line.
The three men were found dead Sunday, Vermont State Police said in a news release Tuesday evening. All three deaths have been ruled homicides.
Police said their investigation is ongoing and no one is in custody. However, CBS affiliate WCAX reports that sources say police have identified a person of interest who is a relative of the victims.
State police said autopsies determined that Brian Crossman’s cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head and torso, Erica Crossman died of a gunshot wound to the head and Colin Taft’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
Members of Pawlet’s selectboard, elected by residents to oversee city spending and enact ordinances, held their regular meeting Tuesday night. Crossman’s seat was vacant and there were flowers in his place at the table.
Mike Beecher, chairman of the five-member board, read a statement: “Brian Crossman was a friend and neighbor, a hardworking member of the community who joined the Pawlet Board of Trustees this year.
“This tragedy that has befallen him and his family has also hit our community hard, and we are shocked and grieving. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating loss.”
Neighbors told WCAX the shooting left them in shock.
“It’s very difficult to understand. I haven’t yet realised it. We visited the family three nights before the deaths,” next-door neighbour Oliver Ihasz told the channel.
Brian and Erica Crossman were married in June of this year, the Bennington Banner reported.
