A University of Connecticut student was shot and killed in a car during a marijuana robbery attempt in Hartford on Tuesday night, according to police.
Hartford police responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a bridge around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of High Street and Walnut Street.
At the scene, officers found 18-year-old Zaid Deje Langs-Myers outside of the vehicle with gunshot wounds, police said. Another passenger in the car was unharmed.
Langs-Myers was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
There was “quite a bit” of marijuana around the vehicle, which they believe the shooter was trying to steal, Lt. Aaron Boisvert told reporters Wednesday.
Marijuana has been legal for recreational use in Connecticut since July 2021.
After reviewing traffic cameras, police determined that the vehicle had previously been near 37 Brook Street.
“Officers responded over there and found evidence of a shooting,” Boisvert said.
No arrests have been made but detectives have several strong leads, he said.
Langs-Myers had been enrolled at UConn during the 2022-2023 academic year, school officials told NBC Connecticut.
“The UConn community is deeply shocked and grief stricken by this tragic loss and our thoughts are with Zaid’s family and friends,” the university said.
The teenager had graduated from A.I. Prince Technical School in Hartford, where he ran track and played basketball.
Boisvert said it doesn’t appear that Langs-Myers had ever been in trouble before.
It’s the city’s 12th homicide this year, he added.
