A Massachusetts father of three was tragically killed after confronting a man he witnessed vandalizing a bridge with graffiti, according to local law enforcement. Kevin Doherty, 56, was set to be married later this month. He was reportedly involved in a heated argument with 26-year-old Snehal Srivastava, who was allegedly defacing public property on the morning of August 28.
The disagreement between Doherty and Srivastava escalated into a physical altercation, police said. Doherty, who was returning home after dropping his youngest child off at school, managed to call 911 during the struggle. Dispatchers reported hearing several gunshots before Doherty informed them he had been shot. The call then abruptly ended.
Emergency services rushed Doherty to UMass Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries. Srivastava, who was not licensed to carry a firearm, was charged with one count of armed assault to murder and two counts of carrying a firearm without a license. These charges were later upgraded to murder, and Srivastava was held without bail.
Shrewsbury Police, with assistance from Massachusetts State Police, utilized drone technology to locate Srivastava. He was found hiding in a nearby residence on Edgewater Avenue the day after the incident. The house, which was covered in graffiti, was entered by SWAT team members and a K-9 unit.
Sarah Schofield, Doherty’s fiancée, released a heartfelt statement expressing her profound grief over her partner’s untimely death. She lamented the cruel irony of having to cancel wedding plans to arrange a funeral instead. She remembered Doherty as a kind and humorous man who loved music, golf, and hockey.
Doherty’s funeral mass was held on the following Saturday. Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson issued a statement condemning the killing as a “senseless act of violence” and extended his condolences to Doherty’s family.
Srivastava has a history of violent behavior, with arrests dating back to 2015. This includes an incident in 2022 where he allegedly attacked a man with a machete in a cinema parking lot. The case was dismissed due to a “failure to prosecute.”