Dead 8-year-old found in car of man killed by New Hampshire police

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — A man being pursued for the killing of a woman in New Hampshire was shot and killed by police on a bridge connecting the state to Maine, authorities said Thursday. An 8-year-old child was found shot to death in the man's car.

The Piscataqua River Bridge along Interstate 95 reopened Thursday morning after a seven-hour closure, Maine State Police said. Traffic was backed up on both sides as drivers were diverted to two other bridges.

The Piscataqua Bridge connects Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with Kittery, Maine – and tens of thousands of vehicles cross the bridge every day.

The man apparently killed a woman overnight in a home in Troy, New Hampshire, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of the state, and then drove to the bridge, Attorney General John Formella said in a press release.

“Early this morning, an incident occurred involving the adult male on the bridge that resulted in the man being fatally shot. The Maine Attorney General's office is currently investigating this officer-involved shooting incident,” the press release said.

“Police on the bridge also found an 8-year-old child shot to death” in the man's vehicle, the press release said. The exact circumstances “remain actively under investigation.”

There is no danger to the public and the bridge will remain closed in both directions for the investigation, the press release said.

No names were released.

According to the Maine Department of Transportation, between 70,000 and 80,000 vehicles use the Piscataqua Bridge every day.

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Associated Press reporters David Sharp in Portland, Maine, and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.