Crime & Safety

Updated: State Police Confirm Identity of Man Who Died At UConn-Avery Point

Police said preliminary investigation shows there was no 'criminal aspect' to death of Tim Devine, 30, of Groton.

3:15 p.m.

State police have confirmed the identity of the man who died at UConn-Avery Point as Tim Devine, 30, of Groton, and released more details on the circumstances of his death.

Devine, who turned 30 on July 4, lived on Crown Knoll Court in Groton. State police are continuing to investigate, but said a preliminary investigation shows there is no criminal aspect to his death, according to a news release.

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The release gave this account of what occurred:

At about 5 p.m. on Monday, police in the Groton area were told a man was despondent and possibly armed. At about 10 p.m., police found Devine’s car parked near the water on the UConn-Avery Point campus. The car was not occupied, the release said.

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Police then found Devine a short time later standing on the rocks at the shore line, holding a handgun.

A trooper and local police negotiator spoke to Devine for several hours trying to convince him to disarm himself, and also used “non-lethal tactical devices” to try to disarm him, the news release said.

At about 3:50 a.m., he suddenly stopped talking to police negotiators, raised the gun and shot himself, the news release said.

“Preliminary investigation into this case by state police detectives determined that there is no criminal aspect to this death,” the news release said. “Detectives will continue the investigation into this incident.

10:15 a.m.

The gunman who committed suicide on the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus Tuesday morning was not a student, but a man who lives in the area who was despondent, a state police spokesman said.

Lt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, said local police departments notified the state that a man was despondent, suicidal and armed at about 5 p.m.

State police found his car on the campus at about 10 a.m., and shortly after found the man on the rocks near the water line, about 500 yards from the campus police station, Vance said.

About 40 to 50 high school students were in a campus building at the time as part of a camp, and that building was locked down, Vance said.

“They were never in harm’s way,” he said.

The campus was not evacuated, he said.  UConn-Avery Point does not have dorms and there was no one else on campus over night.

Vance said officers attempted to negotiate with the man but were unsuccessful and he took his own life.

“Negotiator did everything they could to persuade this individual to disarm himself and surrender to no avail,” Vance said.

He identity has not been released. He was about 30 years old and lives in the area, Vance said.

7:00 a.m.: According to the Associated Press a gunman committed suicide at UConn-Avery Point this morning. The identity of the man has not yet been released.

The campus, which was evacuated last night, is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m.

2:11 a.m.: The University of Connecticut ordered an evacuation of its Avery Point campus late Monday night after police reported a man with a handgun was sighted, according to the university's website.

The "High Alert" order was issued at 11:35 p.m., and the area was cordoned off. The Connecticut State Police SWAT team was called in.

UConn-Avery Point, with an enrollment of about 800 full- and part-time students, does not have on-campus housing. It was unclear who was evacuated or who would have been on campus at the time of the incident.

Check back with Patch for more details as they become available.


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