In the winter of 2019, the life of Christopher Archambault, a 40-year-old White male, was irrevocably altered on the streets of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. On the evening of January 13th, Archambault was in a parking lot behind East School Street when he was confronted by a man who pulled out a. 22 caliber revolver. As Archambault turned to flee, the assailant fired, striking him in the back. A second shot was fired, which lodged in the bandana wrapped around Archambault's head.
A third attempt to fire the weapon failed as the revolver jammed.
The single gunshot to his back left Archambault paralyzed from the chest down. For months, he underwent rehabilitation, learning to navigate life in a wheelchair. His family expressed immense gratitude to the staff at the Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Center at Newport Hospital for the care he received. Despite his upbeat demeanor and efforts to adapt to his new reality, Christopher Archambault succumbed to his injuries on May 16, 2019. An autopsy later confirmed that his death was a direct result of complications from the gunshot wound he had sustained four months prior.
The investigation into the shooting led Woonsocket police to 26-year-old Claude Holland. Authorities revealed that the two men were acquainted with each other. Investigators believe the motive stemmed from Holland's erroneous belief that Archambault had provided police with information that led to a raid on a home on East School Street a few days before the shooting, during which another individual was arrested and drugs and firearms were seized.
Claude Holland was arrested in North Smithfield and subsequently charged with murder, use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a pistol without a license. In December 2021, Holland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and the associated firearms charges. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with 40 years to serve and a non-parolable term of 10 years.
