Thursday, 4:30 PM
Man shoots ex-girlfriend, 2 daughters before killing self
By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff
NORTON -- A man shot and killed his former girlfriend and critically injured her two daughters in their Norton home before driving to commuter rail tracks in Walpole this morning and turning the gun on himself, authorities said.
Robert McDermott, 39, and his girlfriend had a volatile, on-and-off relationship that had become increasingly combative in recent weeks, police and prosecutors said at an afternoon press conference. Sometime in the last 24 hours, the fighting took a violent turn when McDermott used a revolver to shoot his girlfriend and her two daughters.
The body of his 44-year-old girlfriend was found in her bed, police said. Her 15- and 12-year-old daughters were found alive in a hallway with gunshot wounds to their heads.
The girls are in critical condition at Children's Hospital in Providence. It is not known whether they will survive, police said. The names of the victims were not released. The bodies were discovered at about 9:15 a.m. in their home on Reservoir Street by the girl's father. The family had been concerned about their well-being, and he had gone to see if they were OK, police said.
After shooting the three women in their home, McDermott drove to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority railroad tracks in Walpole and shot himself, police said. His body was then hit by a commuter train. He was found dead.
Neighbors said that McDermott lived in the home on Reservoir Street with the woman and her daughters. Police said he did not have a license for the gun he used to shoot the women.
