The Manchester Fire Department responded to a report of a serious motor vehicle collision at the intersection of West Center and Cooper Streets on Tuesday afternoon, according to a post on social media.

Fire officials said two people were ejected and located under one of the cars. According to fire officials, they were quickly rescued without having to lift the vehicle.

Four people in total were transported to local hospitals by fire department paramedics, fire officials said. Three of the victims were suffering from potentially life-threatening injuries, according to fire officials. Their statuses were unknown.

No further information was available at this time.

Officers responded to a disturbance at Urban Air, located at 220 Hale Road, just after 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Manchester Police Department.

A parent of a 14-year-old called 911 and reported that her son was assaulted during an altercation and alleged that one of the individuals involved had a firearm, police said.

The parent told officers approximately six individuals were involved in the disturbance and fled the scene on foot, according to police.

Multiple officers were dispatched to locate the suspects. Based on witness descriptions, officers reportedly observed the suspects entering a vehicle.

Police immediately stopped the vehicle, which was being driven by an adult with juvenile passengers. According to police, some of the occupants were uncooperative and refused to get out of the car.

During the investigation, officers reportedly found a bag with a facsimile firearm in the vehicle. Police said the gun appeared to be painted black, including the original orange tip, to make it look real.

Additionally, officers reportedly discovered a discarded bag near the incident that contained a large knife and clothing that matched the description of one of the juveniles, according to police.

Two juveniles, ages 14 and 15 years old, were arrested and charged with carrying a facsimile firearm, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree threatening, reckless endangerment, third-degree assault and tampering with evidence.

Police said the juveniles were taken to juvenile detention on an order to detain.

The incident remains under investigation, according to police.

“I was like, ‘Oh. My. Goodness,’” Innerarity said.

“I’ve never seen this in all my coaching years. I have two freshmen who are leading the team in scoring.”

They are both guards: Mireidys Cruz-DeJesus, who is averaging 15 points per game and Kailyn Grate (18 ppg) for Prince Tech (9-2).

“They are amazing,” Innerarity said. “It was a total surprise.”

Cruz-DeJesus is a 3-point specialist. Both can handle the ball. In a 60-33 win over Abbott Tech last Wednesday, Cruz-DeJesus had 26 points and Grate had 25.

The Falcons are beating teams they haven’t been able to beat in years. They beat Windham Tech in their first game, 51-28. Ellis Tech beat Prince three times last year; Prince Tech beat Ellis 46-43 on Jan. 7.

The freshmen, Innerarity said, are unselfish and play well together.

“They’re not trying to outdo each other and they’re not in competition with each other,” she said.

Last year, the Falcons were the 24th seed in Class MM and lost to Berlin 56-19 in the first round of the state tournament. This season, they’re ranked fourth in Class MM behind Tolland, Sheehan and East Catholic.

Top performances

Maddie Begnini, Mercy: Begnini hit nine 3-pointers and had 33 points as Mercy defeated Foran 61-38 Friday.

Yzabella Colon, Plainville: Colon scored 17 points in a 46-36 win over Hall Saturday and had 15 points in a 57-52 win over Innovation Wednesday.

Maddy Handrahan, Glastonbury: Handrahan had 24 points, six assists and six steals in a 47-44 overtime win over Acton-Boxboro (Mass.) at the Hoophall Classic and had 13 points, three assists and five steals in a 27-21 win over Simsbury Thursday and 18 points in a 68-32 win over Middletown Monday.

Aniya Jenkins, Windham: Jenkins, a senior, scored her 1,000th point and had 24 points in an 85-24 win over Montville Friday.

Kylie Lake, Old Saybrook: Lake had 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in Old Saybrook’s 57-51 win over Cromwell Friday.

Sybil Neary, Old Lyme: Neary had 20 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block in a 37-35 win over Montville Monday.

Megan Wresien, Sheehan: Wresien had three 3-pointers and 17 points on Tuesday against Sacred Heart but Sheehan lost in overtime.

Symber Sutton, Innovation: Sutton scored 31 points in a 67-35 win over Weaver Friday.

Sophie Tumulis, Stafford: Tumulis had 15 points and 14 rebounds, two steals and five blocks in a 40-38 win over Comp Sci Tuesday.

Bailey Winner, East Windsor/Bloomfield: Winner had 21 points in a 54-45 win over Canton.

Storylines

Conard senior Emily Knowles set or tied a slew of school records in Conard’s 68-45 win over Bristol Eastern Tuesday. Knowles scored 40 points, which broke her record from last year of 38 points) and tied the school record for 3-pointers (7), broke the record for points in a half (29) and tied the record for points in a quarter (19 in the first quarter).

Sheehan had its nine-game win streak broken when the Titans lost last Tuesday to Sacred Heart 48-45 in overtime. Megan Wreisen scored 17 points for Sheehan (10-2).

Windsor lost last year’s mid-season transfer from New Jersey, Kamaria Bowens (who helped Windsor’s run to the Class L quarterfinals) when Bowens moved to Bristol and is now playing for Bristol Central. But Windsor got revenge of sorts, beating Bristol Central, 67-60 in overtime Jan. 13.

Games to Watch

Plainville (8-3) at Tolland (8-1), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: Tolland’s only loss came to Glastonbury and the Eagles, the top-ranked team in Class MM, have won four straight games.

Ledyard (7-3) at Windham (8-1), Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Windham’s only loss came Jan. 9 to New London, 40-35, while Ledyard has won its last three games.

East Catholic (9-2) at St. Paul (5-2), Thursday, 7 p.m.: St. Paul, last year’s Class M champion, has won its last two games after losing to WCA, while East Catholic has won six straight.

Coventry (10-1) at Granby (7-3), Friday, 6 p.m.: Coventry dropped its first loss to Woodstock Academy 47-41 Jan. 13 but bounced back to beat East Granby and Stafford.

The Eagles were headed to play then-unbeaten Manchester Friday. The game was sold out.

“We knew they were going to be coming out hard and they did,” Manchester coach John Reiser said.

East Catholic scored 27 points in the first quarter. Kahil Bell, who had five 3-pointers in the first half, had 11 points for the Eagles in the quarter.

Manchester regrouped, like the Red Hawks did in a win over Windsor, but couldn’t make it all the way back and East Catholic handed them their first loss, 72-66.

“It was a great high school game,” East Catholic coach Luke Reilly said. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence and they’re really tough at home.

“We had come off a tough loss the day before, we were down 1 with 15 seconds left and we were unable to convert. That added a little sting for us going into the game.”

Brayden Jones had 28 points and 16 rebounds for East Catholic (9-2) and Bell had 18. Chance Clark led Manchester with 25 points.

Manchester had a one-point lead with about a minute left in the game but couldn’t hold on.

“Chance Clark hit a 3, just like Windsor,” Reiser said. “But there was too mujch time. We were right there. They’re a good team. to get down and battle back against such good teams says a lot about us. You take what you can from those games.”

And there will be a rematch Jan. 27, this time at East Catholic.

“It came down to the last minute and I thought we did a good job controlling the game,” Reilly said. “We executed where we had to and got a few critical stops.

“We’re getting there. we were unable to close the game out in Springfield but we were able to the next night, so that’s a good sign.”

Top performances

Jeff Akoff, Bloomfield: Akoff scored 28 points in a 67-43 win over Conard Monday.

Richard Chandler, Aerospace: Chandler had 24 points in a 51-50 win over Granby Friday and 18 points in a 76-42 win over Capital Prep Thursday.

Andrew Czerwinski, Somers: Czerwinski had 17 of his 26 points in the first half in a 60-46 win over Wheeler Thursday.

Tommy Dinunzio, Lewis Mills: Dinunzio had 33 points and 15 rebounds to lead Lewis Mills over Northwestern 64-40 on Saturday and 28 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in 66-58 win over Conard Friday.

Jack Grasso, Windsor Locks: Grasso scored 28 points in a 65-46 victory over Bolton Thursday.

Brady Marsh, Windham Tech: Marsh scored 33 points and had six steals, five assists, three rebounds and two blocks in a 69-52 win over Hartford Public Thursday.

Camden Mazerolle, E.O. Smith: Mazarolle had 20 points and 16 rebounds in a 53-41 win over South Windsor Friday.

Elijah Moore, Xavier: Moore scored 27 points in a 62-45 win over Fairfield Prep Wednesday.

Alex Weaver, Windsor: Weaver scored 25 points, six assists and three steals in a 76-66 win over Northwest Catholic Friday.

Avant Williams, Classical: Williams had 24 points in a 74-58 win over Bulkeley Thursday and 18 points in a 78-37 win over Capital Prep Tuesday.

Storylines

Aerospace stayed unbeaten at 11-0 last week when the Jets beat Granby 51-50 behind 24 points from Richard Chandler. Aerospace, which advanced to the Division V quarterfinals last year, is the top-ranked team in Div. IV.

Manchester senior Derrick Sheets scored his 1,000th point in a 68-58 win over New Britain Tuesday and that was not the only day this month he lit up the scoreboard. Sheets had 19 points in the loss to East Catholic, hitting five 3-pointers and on Jan. 10, in a 91-70 win over Tolland, Sheets hit 10 3-pointers and had 39 points.

Games to watch

 Ellington (9-0) at Granby (7-3), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: Granby has dropped its last two games by close margins but this is usually a good NCCC game.

Innovation (8-1) at Comp Sci (9-2), Thursday, 5 p.m.: Innovation, last year’s Div. IV champion, has a seven-game win streak, while Comp Sci is 6-1 in its last seven games.

Glastonbury (10-1) at Hall (8-2), Friday, 6:45 p.m.: Glastonbury hasn’t lost since the Guardians dropped a game to Northwest Catholic Dec. 21.

East Catholic (9-2) at Northwest Catholic (9-2), Friday, 6:45 p.m.: East is in the middle of a tough stretch, with a game against perennial rival Northwest sandwiched in between two games against Manchester.

Tyshon Walker, 26, faces charges of criminal possession of a firearm, possession of an assault weapon and criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, according to Connecticut State Police.

The charges stem from an incident reported on May 7, 2024, on I-384 where a man reported being shot at by the driver of a dark BMW, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. The victim got off the highway and initially reported the incident to an officer with the Manchester Police Department.

Troopers responded to the scene shortly after 12:30 a.m. after it was discovered that the shooting took place on the highway. The man told police he was not struck by gunfire.

The victim said he was driving on Interstate 291 East when he noticed a driver to the right of him slowed down and got behind him, the warrant affidavit said. As they entered the ramp that got onto I-384, the man alleged that the other driver sped off and weaved in and out of traffic.

The man said he believed the driver was “messing around” so he followed and caught up to him, according to the warrant affidavit. As he did, he said the other driver allegedly swerved and nearly hit his vehicle. The other driver then allegedly opened his window and began firing gunshots at him, the warrant affidavit said.

The man estimated that seven to eight shots were fired from a weapon that sounded fully automatic. The gunshots struck the man’s vehicle.

According to the warrant affidavit, state police shut down the highway and recovered five shell casings. After being sent to the lab for analysis, the National Ballistic Information Network found that the casings matched those that were recovered from a shooting in July 2023 in Hartford where 26 casings were recovered, the warrant affidavit said. A residence was struck during that shooting.

State police investigating the incident on I-384 used a license plate reader to obtain the BMW information. The information was shared with other law enforcement agencies before it was discovered that Walker was reportedly affiliated with the vehicle, according to the warrant affidavit.

During the investigation, state police also found that the East Hartford Police Department had a warrant for Walker’s arrest stemming from a shooting in their town. During that incident, more than 50 shell casings were recovered, according to the warrant affidavit. State police wrote that Walker, who was shot during the incident, was not cooperative with East Hartford investigators.

Walker was found lying next to a dumpster during the East Hartford incident where investigators recovered a stolen Glock handgun that was later reportedly found to have his DNA on it, the warrant affidavit said. That case remains pending in Manchester Superior Court where Walker faces a number of firearm and drug charges.

During the investigation into the highway incident, state police said investigators obtained a search warrant for Walker’s apartment. The state police Tactical Unit carried out the search in September and reportedly seized a Glock Gen4 firearm with an automatic switch, an extended magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition, 232 wax folds of fentanyl, a bag containing 65 grams of a white rock-like substance, a bottle containing 18 unknown pills, $6,775, as well as other drugs and paraphernalia, the warrant affidavit said.

According to online court records, state police arrested Walker following the search on multiple drug and firearm charges. That case remains pending in Tolland Superior Court.

The warrant for Walker’s arrest in connection with the highway shooting was signed by a judge on Thursday. He was charged while he was being held at the Hartford Correctional Center.

Walker was being held on a $1 million bond in the highway case alone and was expected to go before a judge on Friday.

The proposed buyers of the the 1.3 million-square-foot mall perched on a hillside above Interstate 84 are listed as Namco Realty LLC, CH Capital Group LLC and Elliott Nassim in federal court documents filed in the foreclosure case.

Namco Realty’s principal is Igal Namdar, who is chief executive of Namdar Realty Group, based in New York, state records show. In recent years, Namdar Realty has been a prolific acquirer of struggling malls in Connecticut, including the Meriden Mall, Enfield Square Mall, Crystal Mall and Trumbull Mall.

A purchase-and-sales agreement was filed in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut on Dec. 31. The sale still requires final court approval.

Since 2021, The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, which also includes a hotel and a handful of restaurants outside the enclosed space, has been in the hands mall turnaround expert Spinoso Real Estate Group.

In September, Buckland Hills went on the auction block, without a starting price.

The foreclosure came a year into the pandemic, following a mandatory, temporary closure of malls and other stores in Connecticut to stop the spread of COVID-19.

During that period, some stores at Buckland Hills closed permanently and others withheld rent payments, making it tougher for the mall’s owners to make payments on a $130 million mortgage held by Wells Fargo Bank, according to filings in the foreclosure case.

An offering circular for the auction placed the current overall occupancy at nearly 80%, with the occupancy of stores within the enclosed area at 86%, both decent numbers, Goman said.

Namdar did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment Thursday. JLL, the commercial real estate firm handling the sale, declined to comment.

If the sale becomes final, it would come at time of dramatic changes for major enclosed malls, both in Connecticut and nationally. Shoppers are buying more online, a trend hastened by the pandemic; and the era of shopping as entertainment is rapidly receding into the past.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.

While New Haven often takes the crown for best pizza in Connecticut (and even the country), there are a bevvy of fantastic choices in Hartford County to enjoy a slice or two for National Pizza Week.

Don’t believe us? We have gone ahead and collected a list of over 100 restaurants in 10 towns and cities that serve pizza. These restaurants all have at least a 4 stars on Google with at least 10 or more ratings.

The list is ordered alphabetically after Hartford, with each town’s restaurants then ordered by rating. This list is not all-inclusive, so let us know if we missed one!

Hartford

• Hartford Pizza Garden on 535 Farmington Ave (4.9 stars)
• Angelina’s Pizzeria on 41 Prospect Ave (4.7 stars)
• Salute on 100 Trumbull St (4.7 stars)
• The Brownstone on 114 Asylum St (4.5 stars)
• George’s Pizza Restaurant on 2027 Park St (4.5 stars)
• First and Last Tavern Hartford on 939 Maple Ave (4.5 stars)
• Al’s Pizza and Deli on 427 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Bro’s Dough Pizzeria on 448 New Britain Ave (4.4 stars)
• Sorella on 901 Main S (4.4 stars)
• Pietro’s Pizza on 942 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Sampizza Bar on 40 John St (4.3 stars)
• Pietro’s Pizza on 942 Main St (4.3 stars)
• City Pizza on 498 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• Mr Pizza on 671 Blue Hills Ave (4.3 stars)
• NY – NY Pizza Restaurant on 547 Franklin Ave (4.3 stars)
• HFC Chicken & Pizza on 271 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• A-1 Pizza on 306 Farmington Ave (4.1 stars)
• Sisson Avenue Pizza&Wings on 495 Farmington Ave (4.0 stars)
• Ranch House Pizza 17 Asylum St #1 (4.0 stars)
• Kinder Pizza and Ranch House on 2543 Main St (4.0 stars)

Bloomfield

• Carbone’s Kitchen on 6 Wintonbury Mall (4.5 stars)
• Bloomfield Village Pizza on 34 Tunxis Ave (4.4 stars)
• Pasticceria Italia on 10 Wintonbury Mall (4.4 stars)
• Gino’s Pizza & Ranch House on 407 Cottage Grove Rd (4.2 stars)
• Michael John’s Pizza on 1393 Blue Hills Ave (4.2 stars)
• Sarah’s On Park on 774 Park Ave (4.2 stars)

East Hartford

• Savvi’s Pizza Restaurant on 1555 Main St (4.6 stars)
• Carmine’s Bar • Grill • Stage on 389 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Queen Pizza on 310 Silver Ln (4.4 stars)
• Charlie’s Pizza on 386 Prospect St (4.3 stars)
• Burnside Roma Restaurant on 358 Burnside Ave (4.3 stars)
• C&E Pizza Restaurant on 1111 Burnside Ave (4.3 stars)
• Anna’s Restaurant & Pizza on 1489 Silver Ln (4.2 stars)
• Cavros Pizzeria on 184 Main St (4.2 stars)
• Villa Milano’s Pizza on 456 Main St (4.1 stars)
• East Hartford Pizza Restaurant on 1160 Burnside Ave (4.0 stars)
• Gino’s Original Pizzeria on 50 Main St (4.0 stars)

New all-day brunch spot coming to CT features creative comfort food and cocktails

Farmington

• Naples Pizza on 838 Farmington Ave (4.5 stars)
• Farmington Pizza + Kitchen on 1019 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Galleria Restaurant on 2 Spring Ln (4.4 stars)
• Mama Luke’s on 372 Scott Swamp Rd Route 6 (4.2 stars)
• Olee’s Pizza Farmington on 222 Main St (4.0 stars)

Manchester

• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on 221 Buckland Hills Dr (4.6 stars)
• CJ’s Pizza and Giant Grinders on 273 Broad St (4.6 stars)
• Al Madina Restaurant on 246 Broad St (4.6 stars)
• Andi’s Pizzeria on 290 Broad St (4.5 stars)
• Hartford Road Pizza on 250 Hartford Rd (4.5 stars)
• Pepe’s Restaurant & Lounge on 300 Middle Turnpike W (4.5 stars)
• Mulberry Street Pizza on 981 Main St (4.4 stars)
• Pizza Mia Restaurant, And Bar on 55 E Center St (4.3 stars)
• Filomena’s Pizzeria on 775 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Joey Garlics Manchester on 31 Redstone Rd (4.2 stars)
• Mike’s Pizzeria on 267 E Center St (4.2 stars)
• Husky Pizza on 46 W Center St (4.2 stars)
• Manchester Pizza & Grill on 316 Green Rd (4.1 stars)
• Maggie McFly’s | Manchester on 194 Buckland Hills Dr Suite 1023 (4.1 stars)
• Woodbridge Pizza Manchester on 489 Middle Tpke E (4.0 stars)
• Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza on 285 E Center S (4.0 stars)
• BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse on 320 Buckland Hills Dr (4.0 stars)

Newington

• Phoenix Pizzeria on Starbucks’s Plaza, 995 Main St (4.8 stars)
• Elm Hill Pizza on 625 Maple Hill Ave (4.7 stars)
• Turnpike Pizza on 2331 Berlin Tpke (4.7 stars)
• Bella Gourmet Pizzeria on 125 Fenn R (4.6 stars)
• Yannis Pizza Restaurant on 296 Main St (4.5 stars)
• Newington Pizza Restaurant on 75 Market Square (4.5 stars)
• Joey Garlic’s Newington on 150 Kitts Ln (4.5 stars)
• Town Line Pizza & Restaurant on 736 New Britain Ave (4.5 stars)
• TJ’s on Cedar on 14 E Cedar St (4.4 stars)
• Village Pizza & Halal Restaurant on 425 New Britain Ave Unit A (4.3 stars)
• Wood-n-Tap – Newington on 375 Berlin Tpke (4.3 stars)
• Best Pizza on 82 Pane Rd (4.2 stars)
• Nicolas Pizza & Mexican Eatery on 1125 Willard Ave (4.1 stars)

New Britain

• City Pizza Grill & Grocery on 662 East St (4.9 stars)
• South Main Pizzeria on 450 S Main St (4.8 stars)
• BYG DADDY’S PIZZA on 972 W Main St (4.6 stars)
• Marathon Pizza on 850 W Main St (4.6 stars)
• Adinas Pizzeria on 2012 Corbin Ave (4.5 stars)
• Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant on 427 Osgood Ave (4.5 stars)
• New Britain House of Pizza on 952 Stanley St (4.4 stars)
• Town & Country Pizza Restaurant on 685 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Pizza Pal Restaurant on 264 S Main St (4.4 stars)
• Peppino’s Pizza on 10 Main St (4.3 stars)
• Express Ranch House & Pizzeria on 389 Allen St (4.3 stars)
• Paradise Pizza & Restaurant on 10 East St (4.2 stars)
• Tony’s Central Pizza on 1523 Stanley St Ste B (4.1 stars)
• Pizza Corner on 36 Broad St (4.1 stars)
• Elmer’s Place & Great Oak’s Restaurant on 1433 East St (4.0 stars)

West Hartford

• Dino’s Pizzeria West Hartford on 439 New Park Av (4.6 stars)
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on 1148 New Britain Ave (4.5 stars)
• Savoy Pizzeria & Craft Bar on 32 LaSalle Rd (4.4 stars)
• Harry’s Bishops Corner Pizza Napoletana on 732 N Main St (4.4 stars)
• Joey’s Pizza Pie on 353 Park Rd (4.4 stars)
• Jimmie’s Pizza West Hartford on 765 Farmington Ave (4.4 stars)
• Bert’s Pizzeria and Mexican Cuisine on 264 Park Rd (4.4 stars)
• Sparrow Pizza Bar on 977 Farmington Ave (4.3 stars)
• Elmwood Pizza & Grinders on 1154 New Britain Ave (4.0 stars)

Wethersfield

• Stella’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant on 620 Silas Deane Hwy (4.8 stars)
• Lenoci’s Italian Kitchen on 285 Main St (4.8 stars)
• Sfizio Italian Kitchen on 70 Wolcott Hill R (4.8 stars)
• Wethersfield Pizza House on 955 Silas Deane Hwy (4.7 stars)
• Village Pizza Restaurant on 233 Main St (4.6 stars)
• Leo’s Pizza on 689 Wolcott Hill Rd (4.5 stars)
• Sora My Way on 446 Silas Deane Hwy (4.5 stars)
• Sofia’s Brick Oven Pizzeria on 1279 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Vito’s Restaurant and Pizzaria on 673 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Fratelli Pizzeria on 804 Silas Deane Hwy (4.3 stars)
• Sally’s Apizza on 1178 Silas Deane Hwy (4.2 stars)

Windsor

• Tunxis Grill & Pizzeria on 3 Tunxis St (4.5 stars)
• Wilson Pizza Palace on 340 Windsor Ave (4.4 stars)
• Jim’s Pizza on 124 Poquonock Ave (4.2 stars)
• Family Pizzeria on 181 Broad St (4.1 stars)
• Pizza Rama on 645 Poquonock Ave (4.0 stars)

Officers responded to a reports of an armed individual near the playground at Verplanck Elementary School just before 1:20 p.m. on Monday, according to Lt. Nicholas Reinert of the Manchester Police Department.

The suspect was described as a male dressed in all back carrying a duffel bag and a rifle. Witnesses told police they saw the male at the back of the building and video released by police shows him “pointing the rifle at the school, into classroom windows and at students and staff,” Reinert said.

Officers located the male still holding the rifle, according to Reinert. The officer told the male to drop the weapon repeatedly and get on the ground. After several commands, the male complied and was taken into custody, Reinert said.

The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old from Manchester. According to Reinert, he allegedly told police he intended to commit “suicide by cop.”

“During the investigation, it was determined that the suspect pointed the weapon, a rifle-style airsoft gun, at 29 children and 10 adults on the school grounds,” Reinert said.

According to Manchester Public Schools officials, the school was placed in “lockdown” during the incident. “Students and staff remained in their classrooms and no one was able to enter or exit the building,” Manchester Superintendent of Schools Matthew Geary said in a release to the community.

“Thanks to the swift work of the MPD and Verplanck’s administration and staff, the lockdown at Verplanck lasted about 30 minutes and the district-wide lockdown lasted about 10 minutes,” Geary added.

The teen is charged with first-degree threatening, 39 counts of reckless endangerment, 40 counts of second-degree breach of peace, possession of a weapon on school grounds, carrying a dangerous weapon, illegal use of a facsimile firearm and 29 counts of risk of injury.

The teen’s identity was not released due to his age, according to Reinert.

“We are thankful for our officers’ swift and professional actions, which prevented what could have been a devastating incident,” Reinert said. “The Manchester Police Department would like to commend the faculty and staff of Verplanck Elementary School for their cooperation and courage during this stressful situation. The investigation remains ongoing. We urge anyone with additional information to contact the Manchester Police Department.”

Senior guard David Smith is a big reason why.

“It’s not a secret that we’re only going to go as far as David Smith takes us,” Glastonbury coach Jim Vaughan said. “Other guys have stepped up, but we rely on him.”

Smith, who is 6-4, reached the 1,000-point milestone last year, believed to be the first in Glastonbury basketball history, and holds the boys school scoring record. He’s averaging 25 points per game. He had 36 in a 65-56 win over East Hartford last Wednesday and 24 in Glastonbury’s only loss, Dec. 21 to Northwest Catholic. He was the tournament MVP of the Artie Kohs Classic at Xavier Dec. 27.

“This year, he’s gotten stronger, he rebounds better, his decision-making is better,” Vaughan said. “But probably the two most important things: he’s a better leader and mentally understands the game and situations better and better by the day.”

Vaughan said that loss to Northwest Catholic instilled confidence in his team that the Guardians could play with higher level teams and said the East Hartford win was one of their better efforts.

“We were down in the second quarter then came back in the third then made the plays at the end,” he said. “We had been winning by some wider margins so it was nice to be in a close game to see how we would respond. I was thrilled with the way we responded.”

Top performances

Andrew Crayton, Haddam-Killingworth: Crayton had 27 points (including four 3-pointers), 11 rebounds, four steals and five assists in a 79-63 win over Old Saybrook Friday, had 25 points and seven rebounds in a Thursday loss to Shepaug Valley and 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals in a loss to Hale Ray Tuesday.

Tommy Dinunzio, Lewis Mills: Dinunzio had 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 57-46 loss to Bloomfield Friday and 31 points in a 57-55 loss to Conard Monday.

Colby Dunnack, Windham Tech: Dunnack had 14 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a block in a 71-66 win over Goodwin Tech Tuesday.

Eddie Fiske, Old Lyme: Fiske scored 20 points in a 53-50 win over Morgan Friday and 19 in a 75-60 win over East Hampton Monday.

Nyquawn Jefferson, Comp Sci: Jefferson scored 33 points in a 72-49 win over Capital Prep Friday.

Brady Marsh, Windham Tech: Marsh had 26 points, four rebounds and two assists in an 86-50 win over Wright Tech Friday night and 30 points and four rebounds, two assists and a block in a 71-66 win over Goodwin Tech Tuesday.

Cayden Smith, Bloomfield: Smith had 14 points and 12 assists, including the assist to Jeff Acoff on his game-winning layup in Bloomfield’s 64-63 win over Bristol Eastern Monday.

Derrick Sheets, Manchester: Sheets had 30 points, including eight 3-pointers, in a 101-43 win over E.O. Smith Monday.

Julian Surdyka, Aerospace: Surdyka scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds in a 70-55 win over Windsor Locks Friday.

Alex Weaver, Windsor: Weaver had 25 points, 11 assists and five steals in a 97-45 win over South Windsor Friday.

Storylines

Senior Joe Mugovero had 88 receptions for 1,297 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Manchester football team last fall. When football ended on Dec. 3 with a loss to Staples in the Class LL quarterfinals, Mugovero went to basketball practice not long after. Mugovero made some big plays in Manchester’s 95-94 win over Windsor Wednesday, including a drive at the end and an assist, which cut the lead to two. “He comes out the first day and he’s on,” Reiser said. “He didn’t missed a beat. He does the little things. He’s the receiver with the good hands.”… Windsor sophomore Missoni Brown suffered a concussion on a play in the third quarter in the loss to Manchester. He sat out Friday’s game against South Windsor.

Games to watch

Cromwell (5-2) at SMSA (7-0), Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.: SMSA will put its unbeaten record on the line with Cheney Tech Monday, and possibly Cromwell on Wednesday. Cromwell has two close losses, to North Branford and Coginchaug.

Windsor (5-3) at Northwest Catholic (7-1), Friday, 6:45 p.m.: Both teams have lost to Manchester; Windsor also has had a tough early schedule and has two losses to East Catholic.

East Catholic (7-1) at Manchester (10-0), Friday, 6:30 p.m.: Manchester has knocked off Northwest Catholic and Windsor, can it keep it going against East Catholic? East Catholic’s only loss came to St. Bernard, last year’s Division I runner-up.

Cheney Tech (5-2) at Windham Tech (5-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Cheney Tech, last year’s Division IV runner-up, has been playing a tough non-conference schedule but this week, Cheney will face a solid tech school opponent in Windham Tech.

This season, Coventry played Somers in the season opener and won 52-36.

“That was very nice,” Coventry coach Kevin Clancy said.

The Patriots (8-0) haven’t lost since. They had a big win over Ellington Friday, 50-32, a team Coventry hadn’t beaten in at least four years.

Coventry, which advanced to the Class S final in 2022 but lost to Thomaston, has no seniors. Three key juniors – guards Ava Vieira, Jianna Foran and Ava Topliff – who lead the team and a strong freshman class, which includes 6-foot-1 center Hailey Mayo. Reese Jeamel is a 5-10 freshman and Danielle Wheeler is the third freshman contributor.

“Those three are the leaders on the court that a very skilled freshman group looks to,” Clancy said. “They have taught the freshmen how we run our program, how hard we work. The freshman have bought into it. They mesh well.”

Coventry will have a tough week coming up, with Woodstock Academy (7-1) on Monday and East Granby (7-1) Tuesday.

Top performances

Maddie Benigni, Mercy: Benigni had 30 points in a 56-30 win over Hand Tuesday and 19 in a loss to Sheehan Thursday.

Kamaria Bowens, Bristol Central: Bowens had 29 points in an 82-67 loss to Northwest Catholic Tuesday.

Abby Casper, Northwest Catholic: Casper scored 28 points in a win over Bristol Central Tuesday.

Zola Cudjoe, St. Paul: Cudjoe had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 59-36 win over Kennedy Friday and 18 points and 10 rebounds and seven steals in a 57-49 win over Ansonia Tuesday.

Jazzy Garcia, New Britain: Garcia scored 22 points as New Britain knocked off previously-unbeaten Plainville 77-51 Monday.

Kylie Lake, Old Saybrook: Lake had 24 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 66-52 win over North Branford Thursday and had 10 rebounds and 10 blocks and five points in a loss to Haddam-Killingworth Monday.

Katelyn Novak, Bacon Academy: Novak had a double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) in Bacon’s 51-46 win over Ledyard Tuesday.

Skylynn Martell, International/Aerospace: Martell scored 17 points and had nine steals and eight rebounds in a 39-31 win over HMTCA Friday.

Emma Teuner, Morgan: Teuner scored 20 points in 75-26 win over Portland Tuesday.

Sophie Tumulis, Stafford: Tumulis had 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a 36-34 win over SMSA and 13 points in a 29-28 win over Bolton Tuesday.

Megan Wresien, Sheehan: Wresien led her team in scoring with 25 points, with five in overtime, as Sheehan beat Mercy 53-49 in overtime.

Storylines

Urielle Abrokwa had 24 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone Friday in an 84-44 win over RHAM. Abrokwa is only a junior. East Catholic is 7-2 and has won four straight.

Northwest Catholic knocked off Bristol Central 82-67 in a game of two of the top teams currently in the Class L rankings Tuesday. Northwest (10-0) is ranked No. 1 and Bristol Central (7-2) is No. 3. Abby Casper had 28 points and Maeve Staunton had 25 for the Lions.

Sheehan coach Mike Busillo hasn’t beaten SCC opponent Mercy that much over his 19-year career, but his team rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat the Tigers 53-49 in overtime Thursday. “I’ve lost to them, it seems like 100 times,” Busillo said. It doesn’t get easier – Sheehan will face Class LL runner-up Sacred Heart Tuesday.

Sophomore Zoee Robbins sealed Windham’s 42-38 win over Bacon Academy Saturday with a free throw with 3.8 seconds left, two days after Windham, last year’s Class M runner-up, had its first loss of the season to New London, 40-35. Bacon Academy and East Catholic are both 7-2 and Windham handed both teams one of their two losses.

Games to watch

Sacred Heart (8-1) at Sheehan (9-1), Tuesday, 6 p.m.: Sheehan has already knocked off Class LL champion Hamden and SCC nemesis Mercy and next up for the Titans is Sacred Heart, last year’s Class LL runner-up.

Coventry (8-0) at East Granby (7-1), Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.: Coventry will have a tough game Monday against Woodstock Academy, which lost its first game Saturday, then head over to East Granby for a big NCCC game the next day.

East Catholic (7-2) at Rocky Hill (6-2), Wednesday, 6:45 p.m.: These two CCC teams are right next to each other in the Class MM rankings – East Catholic is ninth and Rocky Hill is 10th.