Friends of the two Hospital for Special Care in New Britain supervisors who were shot at work on Wednesday night are expressing shock over what happened last night.
Lynn Trask, 65, of Bristol, and Robert Barucci, 53, of Southington, remain in critical condition at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford after being shot.
Nicole Sample lives across the street from Trask, who she said is her best friend's grandfather.
She has known him her entire life and has been trying to reach his family at the hospital. She is worried about his condition.
“To have something like this happen, it's not fair at all,” Sample said.
Erik Allison worked with Barucci for a decade at the Meriden Record Journal and said he is in disbelief.
“(It’s a) terrible thing that happened to a nice guy is the first thing that was running through my head,” he said.
Barucci was laid off a few years ago and was thrilled to find a job at the hospital, where he has worked his way up, Allison said.
“He actually loved the fact that he was there. He was in a supervisor role. He was working with people again. The fact he was at a hospital too and helping people out,” Allison said.
Barucci recently moved to Southington from Wallingford, where he is active in his church, according to Allison.
Victor Valcarel Sr., 65, a building services aide at the hospital, is accused of shooting the two men.
Police said Barucci is Valcarel's supervisor and had disciplined him earlier in the day.
Valcarel has been charged with two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder and two counts of first-degree assault.He is being held on $1.5 million bond and is due back in court next month.
