Hartford

Third Person Involved in Deadly Dog Dispute in Hartford Dies: Police

NBC Connecticut

A third person that was shot during a dispute over a dog in Hartford has died, police said.

A Hartford couple was also killed. The incident happened on June 19 in the area of 67 Franklin Ave.

Police said 39-year-old Chase Garrett and 27-year-old Christina Dang were killed. Court documents said the couple had their baby with them when they were shot.

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Christina Dang and Chase Garrett were shot to death in a dispute over a dog, according to police.

The couple’s neighbor, Nikia Rankins, was in critical condition at the hospital and has since been pronounced dead. She was in her 20s, according to police.

Garrett's family members promised to take care of the 4-month-old son he left behind.

In court documents, witnesses told police the shooting happened following an argument over Rankins’ dog. Police reported that “… I spoke with two females who informed me that this whole argument was over a dog. The females informed me that things had escalated between the neighbors on the second floor over a dog, and then informed me that the two deceased were a couple. The females informed me that the couple had had a problem with the other girl shot in the neck, and someone had made a threat to injure the puppy.”

According to officials, investigators say a fourth person, Donovan McFarlane, arrived at police headquarters with his attorney. Police say McFarlane told them the mother of his child, Rankins, asked him to come by and pick up their 3-year-old daughter because Rankins was “having an issue with a female.”

McFarlane told police that when he got to the Franklin Avenue home, he had a semi-automatic 9mm firearm with him. Documents reveal McFarlane saw Rankins and Dang arguing and threatening each other. McFarlane told police eventually he, Rankins, Dang and Garrett were all standing at the end of the driveway.

McFarlane said he saw Garrett reaching for a firearm. Documents reveal McFarlane stated that, “As McFarlane was looking at Rankins, McFarlane stated the male [Garrett] shot at them three times and Rankins fell to the ground. When Rankins fell to the ground, McFarlane observed she was shot in her neck and stomach. While Rankins laid on the ground, McFarlane stated the male [Garrett] pointed his gun towards him as the female [Dang] was also observed reaching for something on her person.”

McFarlane told police he thought Dang was reaching for a gun, so McFarlane shot her and Garrett. McFarlane said he then realized he had been shot in the shoulder.

McFarlane told police that after the shooting, he took his daughter to his mother and slept in his vehicle. He said the next day after he went to the store, he saw police towing his vehicle. McFarlane told investigators the firearm he used in the shooting was in the center console of that vehicle, according to documents.

Police arrested McFarlane and charged him with criminal possession of a firearm. Police say he’s a convicted felon so he’s ineligible to possess firearms in the state.

Authorities said McFarlane has been cooperative with the investigation, which remains ongoing.

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