A confrontation over a dog in Swanton, Vermont, turned deadly on June 5, 2020. Kyle A. LaBelle, 32, was walking on 2nd Street near Greenwich Street shortly before 3 p.m. when an argument with another man, identified as 22-year-old James Mulholland, escalated. Mulholland reportedly produced a handgun and fired multiple times at close range, striking LaBelle in the chest and stomach.

LaBelle was taken by ambulance to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington and underwent surgery, but he died of his injuries overnight. He was described as a licensed plumber and a devoted father to three young daughters, remembered for a generous nature beneath a sometimes gruff exterior. Swanton police arrested Mulholland at the scene; he was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail, and the Vermont State Police assisted the investigation.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about Kyle’s last hours, please share what is known.