Police said the public was not in danger while investigators worked at the Haynes Street hotel.
STURBRIDGE, Mass. — A hotel guest described hearing gunfire early Thursday after an SUV crashed into the Sturbridge Plaza Hotel, where police and emergency crews spent hours investigating the incident.
The response began at about 12:55 a.m. at 400 Haynes St., where Sturbridge police and Massachusetts State Police were called for a report of a shooting. Officials found a dark SUV at the building, apparently in or near a first-floor hotel room. Police said there was no ongoing threat to the public, but they released few details as detectives worked through the scene.
Stuart Mackelvie, a guest from Scotland, said a car alarm woke him before he heard gunshots. He said he saw a woman after the SUV hit the side of the hotel and believed the gunfire was aimed toward a room. Mackelvie said he called 911 after hearing breaking glass and more noise from inside the building. “I’ve seen this stuff on TV, but I’ve never been anywhere near anything like this,” he said.
Investigators were seen around the SUV with flashlights and evidence markers. Police checked on hotel guests and took statements after the shooting report. Several ambulances also responded, according to witnesses, though officials did not immediately confirm injuries, deaths or arrests. Boston.com reported dispatch recordings that indicated one person was dead and another was injured, but authorities had not publicly confirmed those details early Thursday afternoon.
Sturbridge Police Chief Earl Dessert said the department understood the concern caused by the large response. He said investigators needed time to complete their work and asked people not to spread unconfirmed claims. The hotel is in central Massachusetts, near highways used by travelers moving between Worcester County, western Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said two state troopers were sent to assist with the response. Officials had not said whether criminal charges were pending, whether the crash was intentional or what relationship, if any, existed between the people involved. Detectives were expected to review physical evidence, emergency calls, witness accounts and any available video from the hotel.
The case remained under investigation Thursday. Police said the scene was contained, and the next public milestone was expected to be an update from local police or prosecutors once relatives were notified and key facts were confirmed.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 18, 2026.