In the quiet town of Watertown, Connecticut, the lives of 16-year-old Sterling Jette Jr., a Caucasian male, and his younger sister were tragically cut short on the night of December 3, 2019. The siblings were fatally shot inside their Litchfield Road home in what police described as a domestic dispute that escalated into a shocking act of violence.
The events of that evening unfolded after an argument broke out between Sterling's 15-year-old sister, Della, and their mother's live-in boyfriend, 42-year-old Paul Ferguson. The dispute reportedly began over Ferguson smoking cigarettes inside the house. As the argument intensified, Sterling attempted to intervene. Ferguson then retrieved a handgun and shot Sterling in the leg.
While the teens' mother, Danielle Jette, ran to call 911, she heard another gunshot. Ferguson had shot Della in the chest on the back deck of the home. He then returned inside and shot Sterling again, also in the chest. Both teenagers were rushed to Waterbury Hospital, but their injuries proved fatal.
Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement officers found Ferguson in a bedroom, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was later revealed that Ferguson was a convicted felon and was not legally permitted to own a firearm. The incident was a devastating blow to a family that had already experienced tragedy; the children's father had died by suicide in the same house three years prior. The community mourned the loss of the two siblings, who were remembered as beloved students and athletes at Kaynor Technical High School.
