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    Friday, October 04, 2024

    Elderly man fatally shoots wife, takes own life at rehab facility in Cromwell

    An elderly couple are dead following what officials said was a homicide-suicide at Apple Rehab in Cromwell on Friday morning.

    The Cromwell Police Department received several 911 calls from Apple Rehab, located at 156 Berlin Road, around 10:58 a.m. on Friday for a report of an active shooter.

    The first arriving officers went directly to the room where the shots were heard. When they entered the room, they found two individuals, identified as 81-year-old Barbara Brandt and her husband, 82-year-old Dennis Brandt, both dead from gunshot wounds.

    A spokesperson for Apple Rehab said Barbara Brandt had been at the facility, which provides nursing and therapy services, for three years and was in her room when she was killed.

    Dennis Brandt allegedly died by suicide, according to the spokesperson.

    Staff at the facility immediately called 911 after the shootings.

    The 81-year-old did not have a roommate, and there were no witnesses to the incident, according to Apple Rehab. No one else at the facility was hurt.

    “There were no known previous threats and the motive is unknown to us at this time,” a spokesperson for Apple Rehab said in a statement. “Our focus will remain on our staff and residents, and we will be providing any and all resources and counseling services that they may need to get through this tragic event, many of which are already onsite.

    “We will provide you more details as we get them but currently we will be working closely with the Cromwell Police Department and other state agencies,” the statement continued.

    According to police, the incident was contained at Apple Rehab and there are no threats to the public. The KinderCare located next door to the facility confirmed to WTNH that the daycare was placed on lockdown during the investigation.

    The Cromwell Police Department Detective Division, the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Unit and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are conducting the ongoing investigation.

    If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

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