A Massachusetts mother was fatally shot inside her home as police carried out an hours-long manhunt for her adult son, who had fled to Vermont.
Andria Hanafin was found with an apparent gunshot wound in the kitchen of her Reading home at approximately 12:38 a.m. Thursday, according to the Reading Police Department.
Her husband, Matthew Hanafin, discovered the 49-year-old woman after returning from work and called 911.
Hanafin, a mother of three, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple’s youngest son, 13, was home when the shooting occurred. He told investigators that he last saw his mother alive at about 5 p.m., before leaving to spend time with friends. He returned around 9 p.m. and went directly to his room, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a news conference.
Hanafin’s 22-year-old son, Ryan Hanafin, was missing from the home, and his vehicle was gone as well.
Authorities began searching for Ryan Hanafin and his 2010 black Dodge Charger as part of the homicide investigation into his mother’s death.
The district attorney said Ryan Hanafin had no known history of contact with police before the fatal shooting.
Investigators also learned that he had access to several firearms he legally owned.
“We do know Ryan Hanafin has a license to carry, that was suspended this morning,” District Attorney Ryan said.
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Officials have not disclosed a possible motive. They also said Ryan Hanafin had no known mental health issues.
Authorities said he was known to have ties to the Warren, Vermont, area.
Massachusetts police alerted Vermont State Police Thursday afternoon, asking them to watch for Hanafin in the area, located about 170 miles northwest of Reading, a Boston suburb.
Vermont State Police later spotted the Dodge Charger and stopped it at approximately 2:30 p.m., taking Hanafin into custody.
He was charged with being a fugitive from justice and held without bail at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility, Vermont police said.
Hanafin is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon.
Friends remembered Andria Hanafin as a loving mother who genuinely cared for the people around her.
“There are truly no words to describe the heartbreak of losing someone so suddenly and tragically. Our beautiful friend Andria was taken from this world far too soon, leaving behind her loving husband, family, and friends who loved her dearly,” family friend Heather Gagliardi wrote on a GiveSendGo fundraiser.
“She had a heart of gold. She was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back without a second thought. She never wanted anyone to go without and was always looking for ways to help others, whether they were family, friends, or someone she had just met. Her kindness, and love for those around her were simply who she was,” Gagliardi added.
Police said Hanafin’s third child, a daughter, was away at college when the shooting took place.