Mom unhappy with losing custody kills Vt. aid worker
BARRE, Vt. — A mother unhappy with losing custody of her child shot and killed a state worker Friday, officials said.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, was apprehended following the 4:45 p.m. ET shooting, Barre City Police Chief Tim Bombardier said. The woman who died, whose name also has not been released pending notification of family, had just left the Vermont Department for Children and Families office.
"While we won't know all the details for some time, the initial reports are horrific and break my heart," Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said in a statement. "While there is no indication of a broader threat, the Agency of Administration will review security procedures in state buildings in light of this tragic event and provide any additional measures immediately."
Police will accompany Children and Families staff when they are sent out on emergency calls this weekend, he said.
"This is a tragedy for Vermont," Mayor Thom Lauzon said. Barre is less than 10 miles from the state capital of Montpelier and has about 10,000 residents. "My heart goes out to the victim and the victim's family."
Vermont State Police will be working with Barre City Police, he said.
Chief Vermont Superior Court Judge Brian Grearson, who lives in Washington County, said he had heard about the shooting and checked to make sure it had not happened at Family Court.
The agency's offices in a four-story building are a few hundred yards from the courthouse.
"My heart and prayers go out to the victim's family," said Rep. Paul Poirier, an independent from Barre. "And to me it's just an indication of how dangerous that particular line of work is."
In recent years, the Department for Children and Families has been criticized, but sometimes the emotional, difficult nature of the work is overlooked, he said.
A special legislative committee was set up to investigate the state child welfare system after the deaths last year of two toddlers who had been involved with the agency, 2-year-old Dezirae Sheldon of Poultney, and 15-month-old Peighton Geraw of Winooski. Murder charges are pending against Dezirae’s stepfather and Peighton’s mother, who have pleaded not guilty.
As a result, lawmakers passed a new child-safety law that shifts the state’s priority in protecting children, focusing on their well-being instead of on an imperative to reunite them with their families.
The incident occurred on the final day of work for the state's police director, Col. Tom L'Esperance. A retirement dinner was under way about 40 miles away in South Burlington, Vt., when reports of the shooting first arrived, and troopers left the reception to head to the scene.
Contributing: The Associated Press