Route 5 Sounds Confirmed as Vehicle Backfire

This is a developing story. Details are preliminary and subject to change as more information becomes available.

At approximately 4:49 PM, Vermont State Police received a report of a person driving around and shooting a gun from a vehicle on U.S. Route 5. A female caller advised that someone was driving around shooting guns out of their vehicle. She reported that she did not see fire and that the vehicle was traveling up and down the street. Responders were dispatched to the area. At approximately 8:10 PM, additional reports indicated that a vehicle had driven by and fired shots at a house on U.S. Route 5. The suspect vehicle was last seen traveling south on Route 5. Officers are investigating the scene. Further details are limited. Later updates suggest the suspicious sounds may have been a backfire from a car, and a description of a black Volkswagen vehicle was provided. Police are working to confirm the nature of the incident.

At approximately 8:59 PM, a caller reported that a white pickup truck was following the vehicle involved. The suspect vehicle, described as a black Volkswagen, was stopped just north of St. Bournemouth Road on Route 5. The white pickup continued on, and officers were focusing on the Volkswagen. The incident remains under investigation.

At approximately 9:10 PM, police confirmed that the sounds initially reported as gunfire were caused by a motor vehicle backfire. Units at the scene determined no firearm was involved. The investigation is ongoing.

Photo: Israel Police (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.