Vermont State Police say they have determined that Christopher G. Louras, the son of the former longtime mayor of Rutland, shot and killed his cousin last fall in Salisbury.
That shooting, according to authorities, took place before Christopher G. Louras engaged in a shootout with officers in downtown Rutland that left him dead.
Police investigators have long said that Christopher G. Louras was linked to the death of his cousin, 34-year-old Nicholas Louras, but on Tuesday they said he is “responsible for the fatal shooting.”
The conclusion was reached, according to a news release from state police, “following laboratory analysis and continued investigation” into the events that played out on Oct. 8, 2019, in Rutland and Salisbury.
The news release added, “No further information is available.”
Capt. Scott Dunlap, head of the state police major crime unit, could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.
Addison County State’s Attorney Dennis Wygmans did reveal a bit more Tuesday afternoon. Salisbury is located in that county.
“Based on the evidence so far we know that Nick was shot, that he was shot by Chris Louras,” Wygmans said. “We just don’t know when and where precisely it occurred.”
And the prosecutor said, “We don’t know why.”
Wygmans said the investigation included reviews of DNA evidence as well as evidence related to a firearm, a Smith & Wesson M&P-15 rifle, found with Christopher G. Louras after the shootout in downtown Rutland.
Asked if the same firearm was used by Christopher G. Louras in shooting his cousin as well as in the later shootout with police, Wygmans replied, “We believe so.”
He then added that there were no “complete slugs” recovered to analyze. “There were only partial slugs here and there,” the prosecutor said.
Christopher G. Louras was the son of former Rutland City Mayor Christopher Louras. Nicholas Louras was the nephew of both the former mayor as well as current Rutland City Mayor David Allaire.
The Nicholas Louras homicide investigation in Salisbury began on the afternoon of Oct. 8 after a passerby saw a body off the edge of Route 53, also known as Lake Dunmore Road, in the Addison County town.
The discovery of Nicolas Louras’ body occurred as police were investigating the downtown Rutland shooting earlier that morning that killed Christopher G. Louras.
According to authorities, Christopher G. Louras that morning had fired into the Rutland City Police station on Wales Street and about 90 minutes later exchanged gunfire with officers after a short-pursuit in a downtown parking lot.
Separate reviews by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Rutland County State’s Attorney Office announced in February determined that the officers were justified in their use of deadly force in shooting Christopher G. Louras.
However, at that time, prosecutors said the probe into Nicholas Louras’ homicide remained ongoing, with a review to be conducted by the Addison County State’s Attorney’s Office because Salisbury, about a 40-minute drive up Route 7 from Rutland, is within that jurisdiction.
Wygmans said Tuesday that while authorities have concluded Christopher G. Louras shot and killed his cousin there are still unanswered questions they are trying to piece together.
For example, the prosecutor did say that he believed the shooting of Nicholas Louras took place sometime before Christopher G. Louras fired into the Rutland City Police station early in the morning on Oct. 8, but didn’t know exactly when it took place.
He also said it’s not clear if Nicholas Louras was shot at the same location as where his body was recovered in Salisbury.
Asked Tuesday if the fatal shooting in Salisbury was drug related, Wygmans replied, “It doesn’t appear right now, based on what we know, that it was related to any specific drug activity.”
Vermont State Police say they are still asking anyone with information about the events of Oct. 8 to call the Rutland barracks at 802-773-9101.
