Ashley Armstrong was 20 and a nursing student from Danbury when she was fatally shot in New Haven in the early hours of May 16, 2012. She had been sitting in the driver’s seat of her black Volkswagen Jetta with four other young women after a gathering on Shelton Avenue; the group intended to follow male acquaintances to another location because of noise concerns. As the cars began to pull away, an unknown gunman opened fire on Armstrong’s vehicle.

Armstrong was struck by a single bullet to the chest, managed to drive about a block and a half before stopping near Munson Street and Shelton Avenue, and was pronounced dead at the Hospital of St. Raphael. The four passengers were uninjured. New Haven Police Department Major Crimes Unit investigators canvassed 84 Shelton Avenue, collected evidence and interviewed cooperative occupants of both cars, but said early on they could not determine a motive or whether Armstrong or someone else had been the intended target.

No arrests have been announced and the gunman remains at large; the case is treated as a cold case. If anyone was present that night or has information that could help solve this homicide, please come forward.