Police tape

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

A Connecticut teenager was shot and killed after gunfire erupted on busy College Street in downtown New Haven, police said. Another man was also injured.

Dillon Cornelius, 18, of West Haven, was found lying unresponsive on a stretch of pavement between Crown and Chapel streets shortly before 3 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17, New Haven police said. The Shubert Theatre and College Street Music Hall are nearby. 

New Haven officers on bar patrol heard multiple gunshots and rushed to the scene. They began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived. Cornelius was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he later died of his injuries, authorities said.

About 20 minutes later, officers at Yale New Haven Hospital encountered a 23-year-old Hamden man suffering from a graze wound. He told police he had been downtown when the gunfire broke out. Authorities said no connection has been made between him and Cornelius.

Investigators said the crime scene along College Street spanned several blocks. Officers collected numerous shell casings, and multiple businesses and cars were damaged by gunfire.

Detectives are urging anyone with information to contact investigators at 203-946-6304 or submit an anonymous tip at 866-888-TIPS (8477).