In the quiet town of Bristol, Connecticut, the life of 27-year-old Kyla Ryng, a Caucasian female, was tragically cut short on the morning of June 4, 2014. Just days after taking the brave step of filing for divorce, Kyla was found deceased in her Henderson Street home from gunshot wounds. The grim discovery marked the devastating conclusion to a marriage that had, according to court documents, "broken down irretrievably."
The events of that morning unfolded in a horrifying manner, forever altering the lives of her three young children, ages four, three, and 20 months, who were all present in the house. In an act of desperation, the two older children ran to their grandmother's neighboring home, uttering the chilling words, "daddy's shooting mom." The subsequent 911 call made by Kyla's mother, Michele Brasley, captured the raw terror and anguish of the moment. Inside the home, police found both Kyla and her 26-year-old husband, Alexander Ryng, deceased. The investigation concluded that Alexander shot and killed Kyla before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, it emerged that there had been recent signs of turmoil. Alexander Ryng, a first lieutenant in the Connecticut Army National Guard, had been the subject of wellness checks by the police in the days leading up to the incident, at the request of the military. Kyla's family members stated that Alexander had a recent history with law enforcement and medical officials, and that a psychotherapist was involved. Furthermore, just four days before her death, Kyla's brother-in-law had allegedly confronted her, grabbing her arm and accusing her of infidelity.
The profound loss of Kyla Ryng, described as a devoted mother with a radiant smile and a larger-than-life personality, led to legal action. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a Bristol police officer and the City of Bristol, alleging that the police department's negligence and failure to follow domestic violence protocols contributed to her death. The lawsuit claimed that the police were aware of Alexander's deteriorating mental state and his recent purchase of a shotgun, yet failed to take appropriate action that could have prevented the tragedy.
