In a quiet Bristol, Connecticut neighborhood, the morning of June 4, 2014, was shattered by a tragedy that unfolded within the walls of a family home. Alexander Ryng, a 26-year-old White male, and his 27-year-old wife, Kyla Ryng, were found dead from gunshot wounds in what authorities would later describe as a murder-suicide. The couple’s three young children, ages four, three, and 20 months, were present in the house during the horrific event but were physically unharmed.
The alarm
was raised when the two older children ran to their grandmother's neighboring home, bearing the terrifying news that their father had shot their mother. Police responded to a report of the shooting at the Henderson Street residence around 7 a.m. and discovered the deceased couple inside. The preliminary investigation quickly pointed towards a murder-suicide, with Alexander Ryng identified as the person who shot his wife before taking his own life.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, the marriage between Alexander and Kyla was under significant strain. Kyla had filed for divorce just five days earlier, on May 30, 2014, citing that the marriage had "broken down irretrievably." In her divorce filing, she sought joint custody of their children, with the primary residence being with her, along with child support and alimony. Reports also surfaced that Alexander, a platoon leader with the Connecticut Army National Guard, had been grappling with severe mental health issues. Concerns about his mental state had been raised, and police had reportedly conducted wellness checks at the home in the days prior to the incident.
The aftermath of the murder-suicide left a profound impact on the community and the couple's families. The three children were placed in the care of relatives. In the wake of the event, Kyla's estate filed a lawsuit against the Bristol Police Department, alleging negligence in their response to concerns about Alexander's behavior leading up to the killings. The tragic event also brought to light a startling connection between Alexander Ryng and two other former high school football teammates from Bristol Central High School, Aaron Hernandez and Nick Brutcher, who were also involved in separate, unrelated murder cases.
