Manchester neighbors shaken after afternoon shooting at Grove Street apartment building

Afternoon gunfire interrupts day for tenants; authorities detain one person

Manchester police responded around 2 p.m. Thursday to reports of gunfire at an apartment building on Grove Street, leaving residents shaken and temporarily displaced while investigators secured the scene. Officers took one person into custody, and that individual was taken to a local hospital, police said. No injuries were reported.

People who were inside their apartments at the time described chaotic moments in the hallway before shots rang out. Several tenants told reporters they heard a man talking to himself and striking objects in the corridor. One resident, Dashia Diaz, captured video from inside her unit of a gunshot sounding through the building and described the scene as feeling surreal.

“I felt like I was in a mad house. You know when you're in a haunted house and people are yelling and screaming? He was losing his mind,”

Another tenant, Tyler Collette, said he heard what he estimated to be about 20 shots and that encountering the shooter as he approached the building triggered a powerful fight-or-flight response.

Tenants displaced after shot damages building systems

Following the shooting, residents were not allowed back into the building while police processed the scene. Officers told tenants a bullet struck the water pipes, creating flooding in parts of the building, which contributed to the decision to keep people out temporarily. Tenants reported being kept outside of their homes for several hours, missing work and losing income as a result. The City allowed residents to re-enter the building at about 10 p.m.

• 2 p.m. — Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Grove Street apartment building.
• ~20 shots — A tenant estimated the number of shots fired.
• Suspect detained — One person taken into custody and transported to a hospital.
• 10 p.m. — Residents permitted to return to the building after several hours outside.

Neighbors say suspect was building maintenance worker

Several residents told reporters the person who fired the shots was the building’s maintenance worker, someone they described as familiar and ordinarily friendly. Tenants expressed shock that a person they saw regularly could allegedly carry out such an act.

“He's always seemed like a very friendly, nice person,” Collette said. “I've never gotten any sort of weird vibe from him whatsoever. So, it's really scary just to think that, like, the most normal person, you know, could just completely snap at some point. That's really freaky and just terrifying.”

Police have not publicly released additional information about the identity of the person taken into custody, whether charges have been filed, or the status of the hospital transport beyond that the individual was being treated there.

Community and safety implications

Tenants described the event as traumatic and disruptive. In addition to immediate safety concerns, the flooding caused by the struck water pipe created property damage and a secondary reason for residents to be kept out of their apartments until building systems could be inspected or repaired.

For many residents, the incident raised broader questions about building security and tenant safety. Some said they want clearer emergency procedures and better communication from landlords and city officials in the event of violent incidents on-site.

Manchester police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. City officials and building management have not released additional statements beyond what was provided to tenants at the scene. Neighbors said they hope for clear answers about what happened and what steps will be taken to prevent a recurrence.