Piscataqua River Bridge reopened after man killed by police and child found dead in car

The Piscataqua River Bridge was reopened after police found a man shot and killed and an 8-year-old child also shot in the car.

The incident began overnight when a man, whose identity is not known, killed a woman in a residence in Troy, New Hampshire, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella and State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall. The man then drove to the Piscataqua River Bridge, or “High Rise Bridge,” on Interstate 95 at the border between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine.

Early Thursday morning, an incident occurred with the man on the bridge in which a police officer shot him. The officer-involved shooting is currently being investigated by the Maine Attorney General's Office.

On the bridge, police found an eight-year-old boy shot dead in the man's vehicle. The exact circumstances of the child's death are still being investigated, according to a statement from Formella's office.

There is no danger to the general public.

The Piscataqua River Bridge on I-95 was previously closed in both directions. The closure lasted several hours and officials urged drivers to take alternate routes. The bridge reopened at 9:40 a.m. on Thursday.

The bridge connects Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Kittery, Maine. It is considered the “busiest and most important bridge in Maine,” according to TYLin, a consultant on a construction project.

It has six lanes and is the only interstate connection to Maine. TYLin said: “It is vital for freight, commuters and tourists.” About 78,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, and in the summer the number rises to more than 130,000 vehicles.