According to reports, Brittany Mills, 28, had been trying to end her relationship with John Louis Lynn, 41; the couple shared a 13-month-old son. On Saturday, Lynn went to Mills' home and killed her, then killed her cousins, Kamesha Mills, 23 and Artara Benson, 46, after they arrived at the apartment to check on her. Neighbors called the police, and when they responded to the residence, Lynn walked outside carrying the baby boy, put him down, and then shot himself.
"The officers' quick response to the scene prevented the suspect from being able to flee with the child and likely saved the child's life," Captain Christopher Davis told The Hartford Courant.
Harold Arna, who was visiting his girlfriend at the time of the shooting, described the chaos of the moment.
"I heard women yelling – I didn't hear a guy yelling – then I heard a pop, pop, pop. While my girlfriend was on the phone with the police, we still heard a woman screaming and more shots, then nothing," he said.
Police said that the couple was involved in a child support dispute, with Mills filing a contempt charge and wage garnishment request against Lynn. She had been trying to end the relationship for at least two weeks but Lynn was "over there all the time," relatives told the Courant. They never expected things would turn so violent.
"It's sad. It's horrible this has happened," Sandra Murray, a neighbor, added. "Everyone is so sad around here, just trying to figure out what happened. You're just praying for the families."
The medical examiner confirmed that both Mills women and Benson were murdered, while Lynn's cause of death was listed as suicide. All three women were mothers. The 13-month-old remains in the care of the state for now.
