Updated at 8:47 p.m.
One man was critically injured after being shot following an apparent dispute between roommates in Hardwick on Wednesday night, and the man suspected in the shooting took his own life after crashing his car in Walden less than two hours later, according to Vermont State Police.
Robert Marquis, 52, suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, where he remained Thursday afternoon in critical condition.
His roommate, Donald Brochu Jr., 55, died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head, police said in a press release. An autopsy determined his manner of death as suicide.
The incident began around 5 p.m. Wednesday when police received a 911 call about a dispute between roommates at Marquis’ home on Elm Street in Hardwick. Brochu was renting a room in the home.
Police said responding officers found Marquis suffering from a gunshot wound, and the suspected shooter, Brochu, could not be located. Investigators determined that he had driven away from the home in the direction of Walden on Route 15.
Around 6:50 p.m., police received reports that a vehicle matching the description of the one Brochu was believed to be driving had crashed on Route 15 in Walden.
Troopers responded to the scene and encountered Brochu carrying a firearm about two miles from the crash scene, according to police. They took cover behind a cruiser and ordered Brochu to drop his weapon.
Brochu refused but began speaking with members of the state police Crisis Negotiation Unit by phone. That conversation continued for more than 20 minutes and as Brochu continued to ignore commands from police, troopers fired several less-than-lethal rounds, including bean bags and a rubber impact projectile. At least one projectile struck Brochu, police said.
“After taking several additional steps toward troopers, Brochu shot himself in the head with his own gun,” police said in the release.
Troopers performed life-saving measures, but Brochu was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m.
The use of force in this incident will be reviewed by state police commanders, the release stated.
Jimmy Nesbitt contributed reporting.
