Urgent hunt for ‘armed and dangerous’ son after his mom is found shot dead in New England home

Massachusetts police have launched an urgent manhunt for an ‘armed and dangerous’ man after his mother was found fatally shot in the kitchen of her suburban home. 

The victim, Andria Hanafin, 49, was found dead in her home in Reading, Massachusetts, in the early hours of Thursday. 

Authorities said her son Ryan Hanafin, 22, is believed to have gone on the run, and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan named him as a person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting.

The district attorney, at a press conference, urged residents to use ‘extreme caution’ if they encounter the suspect, who is described as potentially ‘armed and dangerous.’

The murder weapon used to shoot the victim has not been located, and officials said Ryan Hanafin had a legal gun license that was suspended on Thursday morning after the shooting was discovered. 

Officials said Hanafin may be driving a 2010 black Dodge Charger with license plate 2PSY15. 

Andria was found fatally shot by her husband, Matthew, shortly after midnight on Thursday, when he returned to their home from working a 12-hour shift, officials said. 

Andria was pronounced dead at the scene, Ryan said, who added that the shooting is believed to be a ‘domestic violence at this point, although not the traditional domestic violence situation that we think of.’ 

The district attorney said on Thursday that investigators believe the shooting was caused by a ‘dispute’ between the mother and son. 

‘It is a moment of reflection about the presence of guns in a home,’ she said. ‘It is shocking. It is tragic.’

The family has three children, and the youngest, a 13-year-old child, was at home when the 911 call was made, Ryan said. Another child, a daughter, was away at college at the time of the shooting. 

The suspect’s father, Matthew, told police that he had not seen his son Ryan since Wednesday morning, before he left for his shift on Thursday afternoon and returned to find his wife shot dead. 

Authorities said Ryan Hanafin had been most recently employed six months ago and had previously attended a local university, per the Boston Globe. 

Reading Police Chief David Clark said residents in the Reading area should expect a heavy police presence for some time, as investigators comb the scene and search for the suspect.

Police ‘are looking to find out what happened at that home last night,’ Clark said, adding that the family had no history of visits from the police before Thursday evening.  

‘We have two children now that have lost their mother. We have another child who’s at least a person of interest at this point,’ Ryan continued. 

‘So this is a first and foremost a terrible tragedy… We certainly don’t want a tragedy to be compounded by anything else.’