BENSALEM, PA – The Bensalem Police Department has reported the death of Sean Hughes, a 19-year-old man from Morrisville in Bucks County, who was a suspect in the Halloween night shooting of a 14-year-old middle school student. Hughes was found in Marysville, Ohio on Thursday.
Marysville Police officers attempted to stop Hughes, who was driving the same stolen vehicle believed to have been used in the Tuesday evening shooting. Hughes, however, managed to evade the officers on foot. When he was later found, he had succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Hughes was suspected in the murder of Peter Romano, a middle school student from Bensalem. The incident, which took place after a gathering of about 30 young people turned violent, also left two other teenagers injured. Romano, who attended Cecelia Snyder Middle School, was shot in the chest and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The 2014 Hyundai Elantra that Hughes was driving when he was found was the same vehicle used in the shooting near Bristol Pike and Woodbine Avenue. The car had been reported stolen from Bristol Township, a detail that was picked up by Marysville officers when they read the license plate.
The Bensalem Police Department is continuing its investigation, looking for additional suspects who may have been involved in planning the crime or who may have been in the car with Hughes. The department has urged the community to report any information they may have about the incident and to avoid taking the law into their own hands.