A St. Johnsbury man with 24 open criminal cases in Caledonia County may also be
a person of interest in the fatal shooting

A St. Johnsbury man with 24 open criminal cases in Caledonia County may also be a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a 66-year-old man in the town of Eden on Thursday night. Shawn Allen Rich, 44, has not been named as a suspect in the homicide but has been connected to the case in court documents made public on Friday. Rich was arrested by state police several hours after the Eden shooting on three active arrest warrants and was charged on Friday with misdemeanor resisting arrest and violating court-ordered conditions of release. Rich was arrested at his Spring Street residence early Friday morning after Tpr. David Garces spotted a red pickup truck driving past Maplefields in St. Johnsbury and knew Rich had active arrest warrants. “I started to follow this vehicle because I knew Shawn Rich, 44, to drive a red Dodge Ram,” wrote Tpr. Garces in his report.  “ I also had information that Rich was a possible person of interest in a shooting that occurred in Eden, Vermont on the night of 12/01/2022. Tpr. Garces, who is a trained Drug Recognition Expert, said that when he arrived at Rich’s residence, Rich appeared impaired on drugs.” State police say the investigation into the Eden shooting began at about 10:20 p.m. on Thursday when police received a report of shots fired at a home on Griggs Road. Responding troopers located a deceased 66-year-old man at the scene. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Williston at 878-7111. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.