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Suspected Murder-Suicide Prompts School Lockdown In Milford, Conn.

MILFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - MILFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Wednesday afternoon were at the scene of a double shooting in Milford, Connecticut, which happened just blocks away from a high school and forced a lockdown.

As CBS 2's John Slattery reported, police said the double shooting in the residential neighborhood appeared to be a murder-suicide involving two men who knew each other. A 56-year-old man was fatally shot, and the 46-year-old gunman apparently took refuge on a roof before shooting himself.

Police did not know late Wednesday afternoon what was behind the quarrel that led to the shooting.

They received a 911 call to a location on Hollywood Avenue.

"A 56-year-old male who was bleeding from a chest wound in the front yard, just down the road here on Hollywood. They performed some first aid along with the assistance of some utility workers, and at that time, they also observed a second make carrying a handgun retreat to Midway (Avenue), which is just down the road," said Milford police Chief Keith Mello.

Police saw the second man, who was armed, go to a house two doors away. Officers surrounded the house.

"They surrounded the house. They encountered a male who was now on the roof. The male was holding the handgun. He pointed it at the officers. The officers took cover, at which time the male fired a shot. We don't know where the shot went Shortly thereafter, there was a second shot, and the male shot himself in the head and died there on the roof," Mello said.

The first man also died of the gunshot to his chest, police said.

The incident happened in the same area where 16-year-old Maren Sanchez was stabbed to death on the morning of her junior prom. She was killed in the stairwell of Jonathan Law High School in Milford back in April.

Classmate Christopher Plaskon is charged as an adult in the attack. Fellow students believe Sanchez turned down his invitation to the prom, Young reported.

On Wednesday, the same school was locked down as the latest shooting erupted.

"A lot of things happened in the last few months – I mean, the high school is only a couple of blocks away, where Maren Sanchez, you know, was killed. So they had a lockdown today at school. You know, it's frightening. It's very frightening," said neighbor Cindy Kendrich.

In an area now rattled by killings, Mello said none of his officers fired a shot on Wednesday.

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