SPENCER, Massachusetts — A quiet Central Massachusetts town was shaken Tuesday night when a 35‑year‑old man later identified as Patrick Madison was shot and killed by police after a violent string of events that left a Millbury police officer wounded and another person injured.
Just after 5 p.m., Spencer police were called to a home on Main Street where a person had been shot. When officers arrived, they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound and rushed that person to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Authorities have not released the victim’s name or condition.
About a dozen minutes later, a man matching the suspect’s description was spotted near West Main Street, close to the Big Y shopping plaza. When officers approached him, he pulled out a firearm and fired toward them before fleeing on foot.
The man ran into the Family Dollar store at the Spencer Fair Plaza on Route 9 and barricaded himself inside. Police quickly evacuated customers and nearby businesses while calling in reinforcements, including the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC) SWAT team, K‑9 units, negotiations specialists, drones and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.
After some time, SWAT officers entered the store and found the suspect hiding in a closed bathroom at the rear. An exchange of gunfire broke out inside the cramped space. During that exchange, a Millbury Police officer who was part of the SWAT team was struck multiple times. The suspect was also shot and later died at the scene.
The wounded officer was transported to a hospital, where officials say he remains in stable condition. Millbury Police Chief Brian S. Lewos asked the public to keep the officer and his family in their thoughts as he recovers.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation with help from Spencer and Massachusetts State Police detectives. Police officials emphasized this was a targeted incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the community. Spencer Police Chief Michael Befford assured residents that the frightening episode appears isolated.
Neighbors and shoppers in the tight‑knit town described the scene as shocking and surreal, a reminder that unpredictable violence can touch even small communities. Route 9 was temporarily closed as law enforcement swarmed the shopping plaza, but normal traffic resumed once the scene was cleared.
