By Tiffany Williams –
SPENCER, MASS. — What began as a quiet Tuesday evening in this small Worcester County town ended in bloodshed, terror, and a deadly police confrontation that left one man dead, another critically wounded, and a veteran police sergeant fighting to recover.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, was supposed to be uneventful in Spencer, a town of roughly 11,992 residents located eleven miles west of Worcester. Instead, it became the scene of back-to-back shootings, a barricade situation inside a busy retail plaza, and an officer-involved fatal shooting now under state investigation.
According to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr., Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to his office are investigating an officer-involved shooting that unfolded after a violent chain of events began just after 5:00 p.m.
Spencer police were dispatched to 20 Main Street following a 911 call reporting a shooting. Officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound near a multi-family home. Emergency responders rendered aid and rushed the victim to UMass Medical Center.
Roughly twelve minutes later, police received reports of a man matching the suspect’s description in the area of West Main Street.
Officers moved in. The encounter escalated instantly.
“Officers approached the suspect, who then produced a firearm and fired at Spencer Police officers,” Spencer Police Chief Michael Befford said in a statement.
The suspect, later identified by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office as 35-year-old Patrick Madison, fled on foot into a nearby Family Dollar at the Big Y Shopping Plaza, barricading himself inside.
Police evacuated the store and surrounding businesses as chaos spread through the normally quiet plaza. A massive law enforcement response followed, bringing in the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council negotiator, SWAT Unit, Drone Unit, K-9 Unit, and the State Police Air Wing.
CEMLEC SWAT team members eventually entered the store and located Madison barricaded inside a closed bathroom.
That’s when gunfire erupted again.
“The suspect discharged a firearm at officers, injuring a Millbury Police Officer,” Chief Befford said. “The SWAT team fired back,” killing Madison.
The wounded officer was rushed to UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. Authorities say he remains in stable condition.
Millbury officials later identified the injured officer as Sgt. Keith Gasco, 37, a member of the Millbury Police Department and the CEMLEC SWAT team.
Gasco, a Marine Corps veteran, was born and raised in Millbury. He joined the department in 2012 and was promoted to sergeant in 2024. In addition to serving on CEMLEC, he is a member of the Millbury Veterans Task Force, previously served as a school resource officer, and currently serves as president of the Millbury Police Union.
A GoFundMe established to assist his family says Gasco was shot multiple times during the confrontation.
“These types of calls set a reminder of the dangers that law enforcement officers face on a daily basis,” the fundraiser states.
The campaign is seeking $30,000 and had raised $26,155 as of Saturday morning.
“Keith is highly respected amongst his peers and has a devout love for his hometown,” Lewos wrote in a statement, adding that Gasco has “a long road to recovery.”
Investigators say the violence didn’t start at the Family Dollar.
Less than 30 minutes earlier, Madison is believed to have been responsible for the shooting at 20 Main Street.
The victim in that earlier shooting has been identified as Sean Scannell.
Bob Scannell said his son was shot in the head, chest, and arm during a dispute inside the apartment building.
“I couldn’t believe it when the police called and said my son had been shot. Who would do that?” Scannell said.
A GoFundMe set up for Sean Scannell paints a devastating picture of the aftermath.
“A few days ago, our friend and part of our family, Sean Scannell, was the victim of a senseless act of violence,” the fundraiser states. “Sean is in critical condition in the ICU with a long road to recovery ahead of him.”
The fundraiser says Scannell suffered permanent loss of vision in his left eye, has undergone multiple surgeries, and faces mounting medical costs, including an estimated $10,000 out-of-pocket expense for a prosthetic eye.
The family has already endured immense loss.
“Just 6 months ago, Sean and his brother lost their deeply beloved mother, Joanne, to cancer. Their father, Bob, is currently battling cancer,” the GoFundMe states.
An update says Scannell is showing “encouraging signs of improvement” and is scheduled for additional surgery this weekend.
Madison, according to prosecutors, was a Worcester Department of Public Works employee.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being handled by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, State Police Crime Scene Services, the State Police Ballistics Section, and the Spencer Police Department.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office at 508-453-7536.
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Dylan Azari, DeJaune Jones, Laura Soukkavong & Rylie Mitchell contributed to this story.