Plainville residents are reeling after a quiet Friday afternoon turned into a nightmare on Milford Street. At around 3:50 p.m. March 27, 2026, police received a frantic 911 call from a woman saying her brother had just shot his girlfriend and their young daughter and intended to take his own life. Officers raced to the scene only to be met with a standoff that would last more than two hours.
When police arrived, they found 27‑year‑old Patrick J. King barricaded inside the Milford Street home. Negotiators tried to reach him by phone and asked him to come out, but nothing worked. Emergency teams from several nearby towns joined Plainville officers as the tense situation dragged on with neighbors watching in disbelief.
Eventually, authorities deployed pepper gas into the home in an effort to force a surrender. Shortly after that, King shot himself. First responders carried him to a hospital where he later died from his injuries. Inside the residence, police found three people dead from gunshot wounds: 31‑year‑old Felisha Matthews, her 12‑year‑old daughter Mileena Matthews, and 4‑year‑old Ava R. King.
Felisha was described by friends as a caring mother whose warmth filled every room she entered. Mileena was a student at the Middle School of Plainville who loved school and her friends. Little Ava was known for her bright smile that could lift the spirits of anyone who saw her. Their sudden loss has cast a long shadow over the tight‑knit community.
Neighbors said the family had just moved into the Milford Street house earlier in January. There were no previous police calls at that address, and officers said they had no indication of trouble before the tragic events of Friday. King legally owned the firearm involved and had a permit to carry, police confirmed.
In the days since, friends and families have placed balloons, flowers and messages on the home’s porch, transforming the quiet street into a memorial site. School officials are offering support to students shaken by the deaths, and town leaders are urging residents to lean on one another during this difficult time.
Police say the motive behind the shootings remains unknown. For now, Plainville mourns three lives taken too soon and the community is left searching for answers.
