Vermont State Police Following continued investigation, police have determined that Tuesday morning’s motor-vehicle pursuit, which ended with the driver fleeing on foot near Lake Iroquois in Williston, is a separate incident from Monday night’s shooting at the Maple Tree Place shopping plaza.
Both investigations remain active and ongoing.
Investigators received a description of a vehicle involved in the shooting as a white van. Tuesday morning, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop a white van for speeding on Interstate 89 in Richmond, and the operator accelerated and led police on a pursuit that ended at Lake Iroquois. The operator fled on foot.
The driver is described as a heavyset white man with a scruffy beard. He was last seen wearing blue shorts and no shirt.
A multi-agency search is under way for the man. Law enforcement agencies involved include the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department, Colchester Police Department, Hinesburg Police Department, Richmond Police Department, Vermont State Police, Williston Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Residents in the area of Lake Iroquois have been advised of the ongoing police activity and have been asked to remain aware of their surroundings. They remain free to come and go as they please. Police will continue to provide regular patrols in the area.
The case involving the vehicle pursuit is being led by the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department.
The shooting investigation is being led by the Williston Police Department and remains active and ongoing. No one appears to have been injured as a result of the incident.
Anyone with information or tips that might be relevant to these cases is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Williston at 802-878-7111.
***Initial news release, 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2020***
Police are searching for a man near Lake Iroquois in Williston who might be connected to a shooting late Monday in at the Maple Tree Place plaza.
The incident began at 10:19 p.m. Monday, July 13, 2020, when the Williston Police Department received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting near Best Buy in Maple Tree Place. The Vermont State Police, Richmond Police Department and Williston Fire Department were dispatched to assist. Witnesses reported several shots fired, possibly an exchange of gunfire between two people, and that the individuals involved had fled before police arrived. (A separate news release from Williston police provides further details.)
At 8:14 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2020, a deputy with the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department became involved with a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 89 involving a vehicle that might have had a connection to Monday night’s shooting. The pursuit was terminated near Lake Iroquois in Williston, where two of the three occupants of the vehicle were questioned and released. A third man in the vehicle fled on foot.
Police are actively searching in the vicinity of the lake for the suspect. There is a heavy police presence in the area. Members of the public are advised to be cautious if they live in or are passing through the area, or to take alternate routes.
The Williston Police Department remains the lead investigative agency.
Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
Source: WILLISTON, Vermont (Tuesday, July 14, 2020) — Vermont State Police