STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Suspect arrested in Brookfield double shooting

 

BROOKFIELD, Vermont (Saturday, July 22, 2023) — A suspect in the May 12 double shooting in Brookfield that left one man dead and another with serious injuries was arrested Saturday, July 22, in New York City.

 

Through investigation, the Vermont State Police identified the suspect as Devon Dennis, 43, of Hartford, Connecticut. Detectives on May 19 obtained an arrest warrant for Dennis on a charge of second-degree murder connected to the fatal shooting of Juan Sierra, 27, of Springfield, Massachusetts. The warrant also accused Dennis of attempted second-degree murder arising from the shooting of Miguel Fuentes, 29, also of Springfield, Massachusetts. Fuentes has been discharged from the hospital.

 

Investigators determined that the shooting was drug-related. Police learned that Dennis had traveled to Jamaica on May 13 from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. 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 jailed pending an initial appearance next week in Queens County Criminal Court. He ultimately will be extradited to Vermont to face the murder and attempted-murder charges.

 

No additional details are available at this time. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court in Vermont and made public following Dennis’ arraignment, which will be scheduled once the extradition process is complete.

 

 

***Update No. 2, 1:40 p.m. Sunday, May 14, 2023***

The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office completed the autopsy Sunday, May 14, 2023, on the victim of Friday’s shooting in Brookfield. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the torso, and the manner of death is a homicide.

 

The victim is identified as Juan Sierra, 27, of Springfield, Massachusetts.

 

The man who was wounded in the shooting is identified as Miguel Fuentes, 29, also of Springfield. He remains hospitalized.

 

VSP’s investigation into this incident is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Royalton Barracks at 802-234-9933 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

 

No further information is available at this time. The Vermont State Police will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.

 

 

***Update No. 1, 5:50 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023***

The investigation is continuing Saturday, May 13, 2023, into an apparent shooting Friday in Brookfield that left one man dead and a second man with critical injuries.

 

The deceased man is a 27-year-old resident of Springfield, Massachusetts. The injured man is a 29-year-old who is also from Springfield. He was listed in critical but stable condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, as of late Saturday afternoon.

 

Their names will be released following additional investigation into this incident and the completion of an autopsy, which is expected to occur in the coming days at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington.

 

Preliminary investigation indicates the two men are friends who traveled together to Vermont and were shot outside the home at 8769 Vermont Route 14. One victim died at the scene, while the second was able to drive off before being assisted by a passerby several miles away. State police detectives believe this was an isolated incident, and there is no general threat to the community.

 

The Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team is continuing to process the location where the shooting occurred; that work is expected to conclude later Saturday. Detectives continue to interview witnesses. No arrests have been made. The Vermont State Police has been working closely with the Orange County State’s Attorney’s Office and has received assistance from the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife and from police departments in Barre City and Randolph.

 

Police continue to ask that anyone with information that could assist in the investigation call VSP in Royalton at 802-234-9933, or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

 

 

***Initial news release, 9 p.m. Friday, May 12, 2023***

The Vermont State Police is investigating a suspicious death that occurred Friday evening, May 12, 2023, at a home on Vermont Route 14 in Brookfield.

 

The investigation began following a 911 call at about 5:45 p.m. by a passerby who reported a vehicle driving erratically on Route 14 near the intersection of Route 65. The passerby then reported that the vehicle had stopped, the driver appeared to have been shot, and the passerby was helping the man get to Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. The caller also stated that the injured man said a shooting had occurred at a residence several miles away, and there was another victim. At about the same time, dispatch received an emergency call from a resident at 8769 Vermont Route 14 who reported there was a deceased man outside.

 

Following treatment at Gifford, the injured man was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. His condition is currently unknown.

 

This investigation is in its initial stages and involves members of the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Field Force Division and Victim Services Unit. The Crime Scene Search Team will respond on Saturday morning. No one is currently in custody. The identities of the people involved will be released following further investigation and notification of relatives.

 

Following processing of the crime scene by CSST, the victim’s body will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

 

Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Royalton at 802-234-9933. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

 

Vermont State Police Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Criminal Division, will be available to speak with members of the media about this investigation at 10:30 p.m. at the Royalton Barracks, 2011 Vermont Route 107. VSP will continue to provide updates as the investigation continues.

 

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