Man Shot at Car Dealership, Brought Gun to McDonald's: Police

A man shot at an employee of a Hartford car dealership, hit a Mercedes and a Smart car, then went to McDonald’s, where he sat with a gun in his lap, until police officers took him into custody, according to police.

Police said the suspect, Willis Wright, 38, of Hartford, is emotionally disturbed and said he thought people were trying to kill him.

Police made the arrest after responding to New Country Motor Cars on Weston Street in Hartford at 7:10 p.m. when they received reports of an active shooter. The shooter was no longer there and witnesses said a man dressed in black, fired at least five shots, aimed at an employee in the east lot of the dealership, and damaged two vehicles.

As officers were still investigating at the car dealership, an employee from the McDonald's at 98 Weston Street called 911 and said a man was in the restaurant with a gun.

When officers responded to the McDonald's, they saw a man sitting with a revolver on his lap, so they held him at gunpoint and told him to put his hands in the air, then secured the gun and took Wright into custody, police said.

After officers put him in a cruiser, Wright said he was the one that was just shooting at the Mercedes dealership and had two guns, but tossed the gun he used to shoot at the dealership and left it behind 10 Weston Street, police said.

Police found the gun there and seized it.

Police said Wright is a convicted felon who and has several pending cases and he has no known connection to the car dealership.

Police seized a black .38 caliber Colt Detective Special Revolver that had six live rounds, a silver Sturm Ruger .357 Revolver with five spent shell casings.


A new 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 SUV was damaged by gunshots that hit the passenger side of the roof and a new 2016 Smart Fortwo coupe had gunshot damage in the passenger side door.

Wright was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal attempt at assault in the first degree, criminal mischief in the first degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree.

 

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