WINTHROP — The death of a Brookdale resident who was shot during an incident at his home early Tuesday remains under investigation by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Department.
Daniel P. Simonds died about 7:10 a.m. Tuesday at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vt., while undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound he suffered about 12:40 a.m., according to Sheriff Kevin M. Wells.
The fatal shooting took place at 649 Porter Lynch Road, a single-story home just off County Route 49 in the town of Stockholm that the victim shared with a girlfriend, who reported the shooting. Several of their children also were reported to be at the home. No one other than Mr. Simonds was injured, Mr. Wells said. The children are staying with other family members, he said.
The woman, whose name was not released by Mr. Wells out of concern for her safety, reported the shooting in a 911 phone call to the county's emergency dispatch center in Canton, Mr. Wells said. She told dispatchers that several people broke into their home and attacked Mr. Simonds, shooting him once in the lower torso.
The first deputies on the scene found Mr. Simonds and called in the Tri-Town Rescue Squad. He was taken initially to Canton-Potsdam Hospital in Potsdam and later was flown to Fletcher Allen, where he died.
Mr. Wells said the killing is being investigated as a robbery and the role of drugs, if any, is uncertain at this time.
"It may very well come out that way, but we are not saying that at this time," the sheriff said.
Allen Pike, who lives on County Route 49 near the shooting scene, said he was awake Tuesday morning and heard the gunshot.
"I was kind of worried. I thought it was pretty close," said Mr. Pike.
Like most others in the hamlet of Brookdale, Mr. Pike said he did not know Mr. Simonds, a former resident of County Route 51 in the town of Lawrence, who moved onto Porter Lynch Road within the past year.
The son of Daniel W. and Deborah M. Simonds, Mr. Simonds graduated from St. Lawrence Central School, Brasher Falls, in 1994 and served in the Marine Corps.
"He was a really nice kid, very quiet," said Lynn G. Villnave, Lawrence town clerk.
"I met him once," said Richard W. LaComb, Rochester, who happened to spend Monday night at his late parents' home at 569 Porter Lynch Road.
"I lived here my whole life when I was a kid, and we never had anything going on. It was so quiet," Mr. LaComb said.
The gunshot woke him up but, Mr. LaComb said, he went back to sleep until police again woke him up several hours later.
An electrician, Mr. Simonds worked for Dow Electric, Malone.
"He was one of my best electricians. One of the top three," Anthony D. Dow said. "It's a shock. It hurt the company."
Mr. Simonds worked for Dow Electric for several years but later struck out on his own, working on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation for about two years, Mr. Dow said.
"He came back a couple of weeks ago. He was a hard worker. He knew his electrical stuff," Mr. Dow said.
Mr. Simonds got along well with others, Mr. Dow said.
"He never had any problem with people on the job. He was not the kind of person who got involved in drugs or alcohol," he said.
Investigators are searching for at least three people who fled the shooting scene in two dark-colored sport utility vehicles, Mr. Wells said. One was believed to be a Chevrolet Tahoe. The other was believed to be a larger Chevrolet Suburban. Both were last seen heading toward Brookdale Road. Anyone with information about the vehicles or the shooting is being asked to call deputies in Canton at 386-2222.
