Police say Antoine Harris shot and killed Sabrina Finch inside of an apartment Saturday night and also injured two others who are currently stable at the hospital.
Police have charged a man with murder after a triple shooting over the weekend killed one and injured two in New Britain.
Harris was in a relationship with Finch, police added.
Her death is the second domestic violence-related homicide in the month of December in New Britain.
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“This murder is just another reminder of the senseless tragedy of domestic violence,” said Barbara Damon, president and CEO of the Prudence Crandall Center. “There are more people than we realize experiencing domestic violence every day.”
Damon said Finch’s death is a tragic loss for the community and was a senseless act of violence. She said there’s an increased number of people who have reached out to her organization for domestic violence services. The Prudence Crandall Center serves nearly 10,000 people a year in central Connecticut.
“It’s been very difficult to keep up with demand,” she said. “We just are struggling to keep pace to the point where we’ve had to use hotel services when the emergency shelters are full.”
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She said the crimes are becoming more violent.
“The cases that we’re seeing are of people who are more desperate than ever, who are being brutalized even more than we’ve heard about before -- more strangulations. It’s just an incredible amount of abuse,” Damon added.
Damon also said survivors typically feel trapped, not only by the control from their abuser, but because the lack of affordable housing in the state means it’s hard to find an escape.
The center has resorted to housing survivors in hotel rooms because the emergency shelters are full.
"We can only keep pace with that need using hotel rooms right now because government funding is available. That funding is sunsetting on June 30th, and after that, I don’t know what the answer is. We are all struggling together as a network to figure out what happens next,” she explained. “That’s something that keeps me up at night. I’m concerned about that, and I’m concerned about what happens next for survivors who need our services when we’re not gonna be able to meet that demand.”
The head of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence echoed that sentiment, and said she hopes the new year will help them reach more people in need.
“This is a public health crisis. This is impacting many women and children across the state. We serve over 40,000 individuals across the state each year, and that’s just the people we’re reaching. We know we’re missing so many more,” said Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO of CCADV. “2024 needs to be our year where we just say, look, there’s nothing to be ashamed about here, this is not your fault, and there are services out there that can help you get to a safer, more stable life for you and your family.”
If you or someone you know needs help, visit CTsafeconnect.org or call 888-774-2900.
