State officials say a man who worked with children in Worcester and Middlesex Counties and was being investigated for possession of child sexual abuse materials took his own life when police attempted to arrest him Thursday.
Investigators say 67-year-old John Buffington was a volunteer in the Princeton after-school program and was being investigated for possession of child sexual abuse materials, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Eary and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a press conference Friday.
State police say they were attempting to arrest Buffington in Princeton around 10 p.m. Thursday night when he took his own life by firearm.
Before working in Princeton, Bufflington also worked in the Lincoln Extended Day Program until 2014.
People living on the same street as Buffington say he lived alone in his home for more than ten years. They saw police going through his yard on Thursday night.
“This is a neighborhood with a lot of kids. It’s just shocking,” Lisa Farnsworth said. “Unbelievable. I never would have imagined that at all.
Farnsworth said she only spoke with him one time and never saw him much. She said he wouldn’t socialize much and was a loner.
Officials said they are in the process of contacting families Buffington may have worked with while he was volunteering.
Officials did state there was no evidence that anyone in the programs Buffington worked with was harmed.
Boston 25 News reached out to the Princeton Parks & Rec Department for comment. They had not responded as of Friday night.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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