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1 killed, 3 injured in shooting in Hartford apartment

One person was killed and three others were critically injured in a shooting in Hartford Saturday afternoon.

A 17-year-old was among those injured, police said.

Authorities said the incident happened inside an apartment on Maple Avenue and that it wasn’t a random act. The incident stemmed from an attempted robbery and gunfire was exchanged between suspects and someone in the apartment, police said.

Officials believe the apartment was being targeted as police later found "large quantities of cash, a money-counting machine, and a firearm with an obliterated serial number," Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said on Twitter.

Two people appeared to have traveled from Philadelphia for the robbery, Bronin said.

Police say they've made an arrest in the case and identified the person as Carlos Frank-Nieves, 33, of Philadelphia. He faces various charges.

Authorities identified the person who was fatally shot as Joseph Vargas-Mercado, 25, of Philadelphia.

Officers responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday to Maple Avenue after getting a call that a person had been shot. While they were on their way to the scene, they spotted a vehicle that had crashed at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Benton Street. A passenger had several gunshot wounds and was transferred to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, officers had received a report of two people with gunshot wounds being dropped off along Wethersfield Avenue. Officers located the two individuals — one of whom was Vargas-Mercado
— and they were also sent to a local hospital, where Vargas-Mercado later died.

Police say all of the incidents were connected to the shooting.

The three people who survived were listed in critical condition as of Saturday, police said.

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