A Massachusetts mother was found shot dead in her kitchen early Thursday, and police are now searching for her 22-year-old son.
Authorities have named Ryan Hanafin a person of interest in the death of his mother, 49-year-old Andria Hanafin. Police warn that he may be armed and dangerous.
The distinction matters: Hanafin has not been publicly charged in the case. Investigators say they need to find him, speak with him, and locate the firearm they believe could still be with him.
Fox News reports that Andria’s husband, Matthew Hanafin, called 911 at approximately 12:38 a.m. after returning to the family’s Center Avenue home in Reading and finding his wife in the kitchen. The report identifies Ryan as the couple’s older son, notes that a 13-year-old child was also living in the home, and says police had released only one recent photograph of the man they were trying to locate.
Responding officers found Andria suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple’s younger son, who is 13, had been out with friends Wednesday evening. He told investigators he returned around 9 p.m., went directly to his bedroom, and did not see his mother.
Matthew Hanafin reportedly told police he had not spoken with Ryan since Wednesday morning.
Ryan Hanafin is described as approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall. The police-issued photograph shows him with shoulder-length blond hair, glasses, and a mustache.
Police believe he may be driving a black 2010 Dodge Charger with Massachusetts license plate 2PSY15.
That vehicle was last observed traveling on Interstate 93 in the Tewksbury area Wednesday evening, according to local reporting.
Fox’s report also stresses that police are asking the public for information, not help confronting Hanafin. Chief Clark said anyone who spots him or the Charger should stay back and immediately contact law enforcement.
BOLO
Ryan Hanafin is a Person of Interest Following the Shooting Death of his Mother, 49-year-old Andria Hanafin.
Considered Armed and Dangerous
Police in Reading, Massachusetts have warned that Ryan Hanafin may be armed and dangerous. He had an active Massachusetts… pic.twitter.com/2wFH0SPIL4
— American Crime Stories (@AmericanCrime01) October 8, 2026
The Reading Post published the joint announcement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Reading Police Chief David Clark. The notice says the victim was already dead when officers reached the Center Avenue home, Ryan and his vehicle were both unaccounted for, and the search was part of an open apparent-homicide investigation rather than an announced criminal charge against Hanafin.
It confirms that Reading Police, the district attorney’s office, and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the district attorney are all working the case.
The official warning is simple: if you see Hanafin or the Charger, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.
Police have not said where they believe he is now. They have also not announced the recovery of the gun involved in Andria’s death.
That uncertainty is why officials are treating the search as an immediate public-safety concern.
Hanafin had a Massachusetts license to carry and firearms registered in his name. Reading Police suspended that license Thursday morning.
The official account does not accuse Hanafin of firing the fatal shot. It identifies him as an unaccounted-for household member whom investigators need to locate as they work to establish what happened inside the home.
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Boston.com reports that authorities had no significant history of calls to the Hanafin home. Ryan had been employed until roughly six months ago and was living with his parents, while investigators were still trying to determine whether the danger was confined to the household or could extend beyond it.
His sister was away at college when the shooting occurred.
District Attorney Ryan said investigators do not yet know whether the danger is isolated to the family. What they do know is that a woman died from a gunshot wound, a licensed gun owner is missing, and the weapon has not been located.
Reading Police Chief David Clark said residents should expect a large and prolonged police presence around the Center Avenue home as investigators process the scene.
The killing has shaken a town that had reportedly gone more than a decade without a murder.
This remains a developing investigation. Police have not announced an arrest, a charge, or a motive.
For now, the priority is finding Hanafin and the Charger without putting another person in danger.
Anyone with information should contact police immediately. Anyone who encounters him should keep their distance and call 911.
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[ H/T WLT Report ]
