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Accused Killer Hospitalized In Springfield; Accomplice Sought

SPRINGFIELD (CBS/AP) - Police are now looking for a man who may have assisted an escaped prisoner accused of murder in the shootings of four people in Springfield, including two police officers.

WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports.

Trevin Smith
Trevin Smith (credit: Massachusetts State Police)

Tamik Kirkland had been missing since Monday from MCI Shirley, a state prison about 42 miles northwest of Boston.

Kirkland is accused of taking part in at least three shootings, including one Saturday in which authorities say he shot two people, one fatally, in a barbershop in an attempt to avenge the shooting of his mother. He later shot two officers.

Police have issued an additional arrest warrant for Trevin Smith of Springfield as an accessory after the fact. Officers did not reveal what his role may have been, just that they're trying to find him.

THE VICTIM

State police identified the man fatally shot as 24-year-old Sheldon Innocent of Wilbraham. The other victim, a 48-year-old barber whose name was not released, was in critical condition.

Innocent got his hair cut every Saturday at Bill Brown's House of Beauty.

Typically his wife Savannah would join him, but this time she was out planning their son's first birthday party.

"I tried to call him and he didn't pick up. He usually calls me back or he tells the barber to wait a second," said Savannah Innocent.

Sheldon R. Innocent
Sheldon Innocent, 24, was killed in the shooting.

That's when she knew something was wrong. Innocent was killed in the shooting inside the barbershop on Saturday.

Detectives say the relationship between Kirkland and the barber is still under investigation, but one thing's for sure. Sheldon Innocent was innocent.

"There's no justice in killing anyone there is none," said Innocent's cousin, Sofia Rivera. "He just wanted to be a good father and a good husband."

His wife Savannah said if her husband could speak to her now there's one thing he would say.

"He wants me to be strong and do the best I can for Xavier," said Savannah Innocent.

THE SHOOTING & AFTERMATH

Police say Kirkland was eligible for parole next February and escaped from prison after learning that his mother was wounded in a double shooting April 23.

Springfield police Sgt. John Delaney said in a statement that Kirkland is suspected to be responsible for several shootings in the past week in Springfield. Police say he is a street gang member.

Kirkland served jail time in 2003 on charges of intent to distribute cocaine and carrying firearms. He was charged Saturday night with murder, armed assault with intent to murder, armed home invasion, assault with a dangerous weapon and illegal possession of a firearm.

Acting on a tip from a 911 caller, two plainclothes Springfield police officers responded to a duplex where a running car had been backed into the driveway. They called for more officers and a nearby state trooper arrived.

As police approached, a man dived into the trunk of the car.

Police blocked the car and took the driver, an unidentified woman, into custody. When they opened the trunk, Kirkland popped out and opened fire on the officers, police said.

The state trooper and one of the local officers were each shot once in the chest before they returned fire, police said. Kirkland was shot several times and is in serious condition at Baystate Medical Center, police say.

A spokeswoman for the hospital did not immediately return a call seeking information on Kirkland's condition.

The injured Springfield officer was identified as Raul Gonzalez, a 15-year veteran. The state trooper was not identified.

The officers were wearing bullet-proof vests and were not seriously injured. Police said the shootings occurred so quickly they did not realize until later that a 6-month-old girl was in the back seat of the car. She was not harmed.

State Police said Kirkland had forced his way into the woman's home as he fled the barbershop. He was serving 2 1/2 to 4 years and was being held in the lowest-security section of the medium-security prison.

Diane Wiffin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Correction, said a preliminary investigation showed that Kirkland fashioned a dummy in his bed to evade a head count and walked away from the facility. A prison staff member has been put on paid leave, Wiffin said.

WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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