Murder-Suicide in Fall River
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
December 7, 2022
A 25-year-old Fall River man shot and killed himself early this morning after fatally shooting his fiancé’s father and wounding two other of her family members.
At 3:05 am today, Fall River Police received a 911 call from the shooter’s fiancé stating that her fiancé had just shot members of her family and then himself at their home at 511 Bank Street.
When first responders arrived on scene, police found four shooting victims in total, two of whom are now deceased.
The shooter, who then shot and killed himself, has been identified as Christopher Jean Baptiste, 25, of 511 Bank Street. He was rushed to Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The female fiancé’s father, 69-year-old Hubert Labasquin, was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The female fiancé’s mother, a 59-year-old woman, was rushed to Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford for a treatment of a gunshot wound. She is expected to survive.
The female fiancé’s sister, a 25-year-old woman, was also rushed to Saint Luke’s Hospital and is also expected to survive.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that the female fiancé’s family had been residing with the couple at Jean Baptiste’s Bank Street residence for the past several months while they apparently looked for another place to live. During the evening last night, Jean Baptiste told his fiancé that he was unhappy with her family continuing to reside with them. Then later in the evening, while holding a firearm, Jean Baptiste apparently told his fiancé that her family had to leave the house immediately. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Labasquin apparently engaged in a physical struggle with Jean Baptiste, at which point Mr. Labasquin was shot.
While the female fiancé was calling 911, Jean Baptiste apparently shot both her mother and her sister before then shooting himself.
The shooter had a valid License to Carry the firearm.
The investigation remains active and ongoing and is being conducted by prosecutors, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and Fall River Police.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576