Gunman shoots man at CVS pharmacy in Allston, then turns weapon on himself
By Jack Hagel, Associated Press, 09/19/02
BOSTON — A gunman shot another man then killed himself in the aisles of a drug store on Thursday in what police believe was a personal dispute.
It was about 8:45 a.m. when Leo Chernov followed Vladimir Frolov into a CVS store at 1266 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston's Allston neighborhood, police said.
Chernov trailed Frolov, 37, of Brookline, into the back of the store, near the store's pharmacy. Chernov then shot Frolov three or four times in the chest, police said.
Chernov, 45, then put the gun to his own head and killed himself, according to Boston police Capt. William Evans.
Frolov was in critical condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said Boston police spokesman John Boyle.
Chernov was pronounced dead at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Police did not know where he lived.
Police said the attack was motivated by a dispute over a personal relationship, possibly over a woman, but Evans had no further details.
The store was shut down Thursday morning and police took witnesses to headquarters for questioning.
The store will remain closed until the investigation is complete, possibly for days, said Todd Andrews, spokesman for Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS.
"We provided trauma counseling for our employees and will be working with them over the next few days to help them recover from this incident," Andrews said. "We are very saddened by the whole situation, but we are very fortunate that no employees were injured in the incident."
Danylle Shamitz, 27, who lives nearby, arrived at the store after dropping off her 9-year-old daughter at school.
She said she needed to buy a few items, but when she got to the store, she saw the bloodied men being wheeled into ambulances.
Shamitz said she was glad her daughter did not witness the shooting.
"She comes in here to buy candy and toys," Shamitz said. "To think this would happen in a store in her neighborhood, a store she knows, it's so scary."
