Massachusetts police are hunting 22-year-old Ryan Hanafin after his mother Andria was found dead of a gunshot wound, and warn he may be armed.
Reading police launched a manhunt early Thursday after Matthew Hanafin returned to the family’s Center Avenue home and found his wife dead in the kitchen. He called 911 around 12:38 a.m.
Fox News reported that Andria Hanafin, 49, died of a gunshot wound. Investigators named the couple’s older son, Ryan Hanafin, 22, a person of interest and released his photo and vehicle description to the public.
Reading Police Chief David J. Clark said the public should treat Ryan as a serious safety risk.
"potentially armed and dangerous."
Clark told residents not to confront him if they spot him or the car.
"By all means, please do not approach him,"
He directed anyone who sees Ryan or the vehicle to call for help right away.
"Please contact 911, the local police department, whatever, if you see the vehicle or come across him. We are urging people to stay safe and not put themselves in danger."
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan laid out the overnight timeline at a news briefing. A 13-year-old child, the couple’s younger son, was in the house when police responded.
The teenager had been out with friends until about 9 p.m. He told investigators he went straight to his bedroom when he got home and did not see his mother.
Matthew Hanafin, 48, told authorities he had not spoken with Ryan since Wednesday morning. Officials have not publicly described a motive, recovered weapon, or last confirmed location for the older son beyond the vehicle tied to the search.
Marian Ryan also said the household did not have a heavy prior footprint with local police.
"no significant history"
of police calls to the family home, she said.
Police said Ryan Hanafin is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and may be driving a black 2010 Dodge Charger with Massachusetts plate 2PSY15. Reading officers released an image of him as the search continued.
No arrest and no charges were announced in the initial public briefings. Officials described him only as a person of interest while asking the public to call 911 rather than approach the car or the man.
Andria Hanafin was found dead in her own kitchen. Her husband made the discovery after midnight. Their younger son was already home. Their older son is now the focus of an active manhunt across Massachusetts roads.
When a mother is shot dead at home and police warn the public that a person of interest may be armed, the job is simple: identify him, bring him in safely, and let the evidence, not the rumor mill, decide what comes next.
