Southington Man Charged In Six Shootings In Two Towns

By Justin Muszynski, The Bristol Press

October 26, 2021

A Southington man already facing charges in two local shootings and a shooting at the State Capitol Building in Hartford has been charged in five more shootings in Southington and one in Bristol.

Police in both towns have announced the new charges against Floyd Gollnick, 75, of 91 Grove St., who was arraigned on the new offenses last week in New Britain Superior Court.

He has not entered a plea to the most recent charges, which include six counts of first-degree criminal mischief, five counts each of criminal use of a firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm, three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of attempted first-degree assault and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment.

Gollnick is being held on bonds in excess of $1 million. He is due back in court on Nov. 23.

The new charges stem from a series of shootings in Southington and one in Bristol that all happened on May 30.

That day, Bristol police said officers were dispatched to Crowley RV. located at 9 Barber St., for a report of shots fired. Police found several bullet holes in the windows of the business. Crowley was closed at the time, and there were no injuries reported.

In Southington, police received seven reports of shooting on May 30. Gollnick, prior to last week, had faced charges in two of these incidents.

The new charges entail shootings at 2344 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, 750 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, 156 School St., 216 Flanders Road and 828 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike.

The incident at 2344 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike involved an occupied home in which a resident reported hearing 16 shots fired at the residence around 6:43 p.m. The shooting at 750 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike was reported around 8:54 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was called in by a church member, and police say the shots were believed to have been fired earlier in the day.

A resident at the home at 156 School St. reported hearing a noise around 6:30 p.m. The resident initially thought it may have been a branch that broke but later discovered several bullet holes through a wall, into a second floor bedroom. Investigators later determined about 12 to 15 shots were fired into a second floor bedroom wall. That home was occupied at the time.

Sometime between 6:30 and 7 p.m., a resident in a home at 216 Flanders Road reported hearing a noise outside their home. They then spotted a man sitting in a black truck in the road in front of their home and suspected it was someone making a delivery. The resident later discovered a total of 16 bullet holes fired into the home’s garage door. This home was also occupied at the time.

Gollnick has also been charged after 12 bullet holes were found at Polumbo’s Service Center, located at 828 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike.

No injuries were reported in any of the shootings.

Gollnick had already been charged in a residential shooting at a home at 376 North Star Drive and a shooting at Hartford Healthcare Group, at 70 Meriden Ave.

A resident of the North Star Drive home called police on May 30 to report hearing between four to five gunshots, police said. Moments later, police received an alarm alert from the Hartford Healthcare facility for a “glass break.”

Gollnick has also been charged by state police. According to state police, Gollnick on May 30 fired multiple shots into the Capitol building from a car that was parked on Capitol Avenue. No injuries were reported, and the bullet holes were not discovered until June 1.

Justin Muszynski can be reached at 860-973-1809 or jmuszynski@bristolpress.com.