It was a night of gunfire and terror for one Austintown family.
Township police were called to a home on Mahoning Avenue around 10:30pm Thursday night after receiving a 911 call reporting gunfire from inside the residence. When officers arrived on scene, they found 41 year old Richard Forrester of Niles barricaded in the basement of the home.
After several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with Forrester, police stormed the house. That's when police say Forrester shot and killed himself. Inside the home, police found the homeowner, 52 year old Gerald Kidd, and his 32 year old son, Ian, with gunshot wounds. Mr. Kidd suffered multiple injuries and died at the hospital. Ian, who was shot in the stomach, remains hospitalized, but is expected to recover.
Also inside the home was the victims' mother and wife. She had locked herself inside an upstairs bedroom and fortunately, was not hurt. Austintown police say the Kidds' are the family of the gunman's ex-girlfriend. They also believe Mr. Forrester may have been involved in a shooting in Trumbull County earlier the same night.
The daughter, by the way, was never at the home. About an hour before that shooting, Weathersfield police say Forrester shot his ex-wife's home and car. No one was injured in that shooting.
