Branford standoff neighbor: He could have shot me
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John Chambers, owner of Shelley s Garden Center. Behind him is the building from where a shooter fired during a standoff with police Tuesday.Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media
BRANFORD John Chambers, owner of Shelley’s Garden Center, and several neighbors who also were in the line of fire during Tuesday’s seven-hour standoff with a well-armed man in a second-floor apartment of a house at 241 Main St., all know that it could have been so much worse.
They’re all brutally aware that instead of standing outside talking about it on Wednesday, they could be hospitalized like neighbor Ashwin Patel, owner of Shoreline Wine & Spirits, who had non-life-threatening injuries after being shot and, according to his son, still was in the hospital Wednesday.
“I ducked behind this pallet right here and he had a clean shot at me,” said Chambers.
There were hours of panic that followed, as police say Walker shot at anything and didn’t appear to have a target. They arrived 90 seconds after the 911 call and arrived under heavy gunfire. Police said they exchanged shots with Walker.
Chambers said Walker shot at his home and delivery truck. He was able to move inside when Walker took aim at police.
“They shot my whole truck up over here in the driveway, they shot up the side of my house over there,” said Chambers.