Arraignment scheduled for suspect in Brookfield double shooting: Thursday, September 21, 2023 in BROOKFIELD, Vermont State Troopers The man accused of shooting two individuals, killing one and gravely wounding the other, has been extradited to Vermont and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday, September 22, 2023.
Thursday, Vermont State Police Field Force Division uniformed troopers returned Devon Dennis, 43, of Hartford, Connecticut, to the state of Vermont. Dennis was processed and ordered to be held without parole pending his arraignment, scheduled for Friday at 12:30 p.m. in the Criminal Division of the Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea.
He is accused with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Juan Sierra, 27, of Springfield, Massachusetts, on May 12, and another count of attempted second-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Miguel Fuentes, 29, also of Springfield.
Media members should contact the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office to corroborate the details of Dennis’s arraignment.
***Update No. 3, 4:45 p.m. Saturday, July 22, 2023***
A suspect in the double shooting on May 12 in Brookfield that left one man deceased and another with serious injuries was apprehended in New York City on July 22.
The Vermont State Police identified the suspect as Devon Dennis, 43, of Hartford, Connecticut, through investigation. On May 19, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Dennis on the allegation of second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Juan Sierra of Springfield, Massachusetts. Dennis was also charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Miguel Fuentes, 29, also of Springfield, Massachusetts. Fuentes is no longer a patient at the hospital.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was related to drugs. The police discovered that Dennis departed Bradley International Airport in Connecticut on May 13 for Jamaica. He flew back from Jamaica to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday morning, July 22, where he was met and arrested by members of Homeland Security Investigations, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Dennis is detained pending his initial appearance in Queens County Criminal Court the following week. He will ultimately be extradited to Vermont to face the accusations of murder and attempted murder.
No further information is available at this time. The affidavit of probable cause will be submitted with the Vermont court and made public following Dennis’ arraignment, which will be scheduled following the conclusion of the extradition process.
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***Update No. 2, 1:40 p.m. Sunday, May 14, 2023***
Sunday, May 14, 2023, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the autopsy on the gunshot victim from Friday in Brookfield. A gunshot wound to the torso was determined to be the cause of death, and the manner of death was a homicide.
The victim has been identified as 27-year-old Juan Sierra from Springfield, Massachusetts.
The victim of the shooting has been identified as Miguel Fuentes, also of Springfield, age 29. He remains in the infirmary.
The investigation into this incident by VSP is ongoing and active. Call the Royalton Barracks at 802-234-9933 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit if you have information.
There are no additional details available at this time. As the investigation progresses, the Vermont State Police will provide further updates.
***Update No. 1, 5:50 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023***
Saturday, May 13, 2023, the investigation into a Friday shooting in Brookfield that left one man deceased and another in critical condition continues.
The deceased is a 27-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts resident. The injured individual is a 29-year-old Springfield resident. As of late Saturday afternoon, he was listed in critical but stable condition at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Following additional investigation into this incident and completion of an autopsy, which is anticipated to occur in the coming days at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, their names will be made public.
According to preliminary investigation, the two men are companions who traveled to Vermont together and were shot outside the residence located at 8769 Vermont Route 14. One victim perished at the scene, while the other was able to drive away before being helped several miles away by a bystander. Detectives with the state police believe this was an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the community as a whole.
The Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team is continuing to process the shooting scene; this work is anticipated to conclude Saturday evening. Detectives continue to conduct witness interviews. There have been no arrests. The Vermont State Police has collaborated closely with the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office and received assistance from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and the police departments of Barre City and Randolph.
Police continue to ask that anyone with information that could assist in the investigation contact VSP in Royalton at 802-234-9933, or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
***Initial news release, Friday, May 12, 2023, at 9 p.m.***
The Vermont State Police are investigating a suspicious fatality that occurred on Vermont Route 14 in Brookfield on Friday evening, May 12, 2023.
An investigation was initiated after a passerby called 911 at 5:45 p.m. to report a vehicle traveling erratically on Route 14 near the intersection with Route 65. The bystander then reported that the vehicle had stopped, the driver appeared to have been shot, and he was assisting the individual in his journey to Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. In addition, the caller reported that the injured man stated that a shooting had occurred at a residence several miles distant and that there was a second victim. Approximately at the same time, dispatch received a call from a resident at 8769 Vermont Route 14 who reported a deceased male was outside.
The injured individual was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, following treatment at Gifford. His current condition is unknown.
Members of the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Field Force Division, and Victim Services Unit are involved in the preliminary phases of this investigation. On Saturday morning, the Crime Scene Search Team will respond to the scene. Currently, no one is in custody. Following further investigation and notification of family members, the identities of those implicated will be made public.
After CSST has processed the crime scene, the victim’s body will be transported to the Burlington office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to ascertain the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information that could aid investigators in this investigation is urged to contact the Vermont State Police in Royalton at 802-234-9980. Additionally, anonymous reports can be submitted online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
At 10:30 p.m. at the Royalton Barracks, 2011 Vermont Route 107, Vermont State Police Major Dan Trudeau, commander of the Criminal Division, will be available to communicate with members of the media about this investigation. As the investigation continues, VSP will continue to provide updates.
