Updated at 1:45 p.m.
Bennington police have alleged Raul E. Cardona of Springfield, Massachusetts, shot and killed Patrick Mullinnex of Springfield, Vermont, in a Bennington apartment on Wednesday morning.
Cardona, 28, is on the run, police said, and they advised people to consider him armed and dangerous.
Police said the shooting occurred around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in an apartment occupied by a person who is on parole, someone being supervised by the Vermont Department of Corrections.
Police said Mullinnex, 38, was shot several times in the chest and was dead when they arrived in the Bennington apartment at 324 Pleasant Street. He was found in the apartment’s kitchen area, said Bennington Assistant Police Chief Camillo Grande.
The investigation involves the town police, with assistance from the Homeland Security Unit, Vermont State Police and Bennington County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to a release issued by Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette.
Investigators have already served and executed two search warrants, the police statement said, and the Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team assisted Bennington police in processing the crime scene.
While police did not know immediately who shot Mullinnex, Cardona emerged as the chief suspect as the investigation continued on Thursday. Police said they didn’t know his whereabouts, but investigators believe he may have fled Vermont and returned to Massachusetts.Â
Police said they planned to issue an arrest warrant for Cardona on Thursday. Anyone with information about the shooting death is asked to contact the Bennington Police Department at 802-442-1030 or through its website, benningtonpolice.com.
The fatal shooting — Bennington’s first homicide this year — came just weeks after Doucette told the town selectboard on July 11 that violent crimes in Bennington have significantly increased in the past six months. He cited a rise in stabbings, drive-by shootings and gang activity.
Doucette asked residents to help police keep track of such incidents, so they can respond accordingly.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Patrick Mullinnex’s last name.