Authorities say a 27-year-old man killed three family members before fatally shooting himself as officers tried to negotiate his surrender.
PLAINVILLE, Conn. — A man killed his girlfriend and two children inside a Plainville home Friday afternoon, then shot himself as police closed in after a nearly two-hour standoff, authorities said.
Police said the deaths began unfolding just before 4 p.m., when a woman called dispatchers to report that her brother had told her he had killed his girlfriend and their young daughter and planned to take his own life. Officers rushed to the Milford Street home, surrounded it and tried to reach the man, later identified as 27-year-old Patrick King. By Saturday, investigators had identified the three victims as Felisha Matthews, 31, Ava King, 4, and Mileena Matthews, 12, and said all three had been shot. The killings stunned the central Connecticut town and set off a continuing homicide investigation.
The case began at 3:53 p.m. Friday, when police said King’s sister called after hearing his confession over the phone. Officers arrived at the house on Milford Street and locked down the area while trying to determine who was inside and whether anyone could still be saved. Police said they were initially unable to reach King, but a negotiator later got him on the phone. The Central Region Emergency Response Team joined the response as officers held positions around the house. Plainville Police Chief Christopher Vanghele said negotiations continued for about two hours. When those efforts failed, officers decided to deploy pepper gas into the home in an attempt to force King outside alive. Instead, Vanghele said, King shot himself. Officers then rushed in, tried life-saving measures and took him to a hospital, where he later died.
Inside the home, officers found Matthews, Ava King and Mileena Matthews dead from gunshot wounds, police said. Authorities said Mileena was Matthews’ daughter from a previous relationship. Investigators have not said when the three were killed in relation to the sister’s call, and they have not publicly described where in the home each victim was found. Police also have not released a motive. Vanghele said several guns were removed from the residence and that the weapon used in the killings was legally registered to King. He also said King had a permit to carry a firearm. Those details are likely to be part of the broader review now underway as detectives examine physical evidence, reconstruct the timeline and try to understand what led to the shootings. Officials have not said whether there had been prior domestic violence calls connected to the address.
The deaths quickly became one of the most devastating incidents the town has faced in recent years. Vanghele called it “a very dark day” for Plainville and for Connecticut, saying the loss had shaken officers as well as residents. The family was new to the neighborhood, police said, a detail that left some neighbors struggling to make sense of what had happened behind the doors of a home that had drawn little public attention. The fact that one of the victims was 12-year-old Mileena Matthews, a student at the Middle School of Plainville, deepened the shock across the community. By Saturday, officials said school support services would be made available for students and staff dealing with grief. Local leaders also began speaking publicly about the strain on first responders, educators and relatives who were forced to absorb the scale of the killings in a matter of hours.
The investigation remains active, and police have said more information could come after detectives finish processing the scene and reviewing evidence collected from the house. Authorities have not announced any court proceedings because the suspected gunman is dead, but they are still working through the standard steps of a homicide inquiry, including forensic testing and interviews. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to help confirm the causes and manners of death. Police also have not said whether they found written messages, digital evidence or other records that might explain King’s actions. In the meantime, town officials have focused on victim identification, support for grieving relatives and preserving the facts of the case as investigators build a full account of Friday’s violence.
Outside the home, the first signs of mourning appeared by Saturday, when balloons, flowers and stuffed animals were placed on the porch. Neighbor Tim Sunderland said the family had seemed ordinary, recalling that one of the girls was often seen smiling and heading to school. Town Council Chair Christopher Wazorko said the loss was especially painful in a close-knit community where tragedies can spread grief far beyond one street or one household. Those remarks underscored how quickly the story moved from a police operation to a community trauma. What began as an emergency call and tactical response ended with four deaths, a neighborhood turned into a crime scene and a town left waiting for answers that investigators still do not have.
As of Sunday, police said the motive remained unknown and the investigation was continuing, with officials expected to release more details once forensic work and witness interviews are completed.
Author note: Last updated March 29, 2026.