North Vancouver’s Matthew Hutchinson — a volunteer firefighter and hockey player — is one of three people who has died at a residence in Geneseo, N.Y., according to local police. The 24-year-old was a student at the State University of New York in Geneseo.
At 6 a.m. ET on Sunday the Geneseo Police Department arrived at a residence at 18 Wadsworth Street and discovered three bodies following a 911 call made by a member of one of the victims’ families.
Knife seized
“No firearm was used. A knife was recovered at the scene,” said Jeffrey Szczesniak, the public information officer for the Geneseo Police Department at a news conference, adding that police believe the deaths are an isolated incident.
He did not say if, or how, the three victims knew each other.
“Of the three bodies found, one may be a perpetrator,” he said.
Kelsey Annese, 21, was also found dead in the same Geneseo, N.Y., residence as Matthew Hutchinson and 24-year-old Colin Kingston. Police aren’t yet saying what the relationship between the trio was. (State University of New York Geneseo)
Hutchinson, 24, was a member of the school’s hockey team and a geography major and business studies minor. He was also a member of the Geneseo volunteer fire department.
The other victims were:
- Kelsey Annese, 21, was a member of the women’s basketball team at SUNY Geneseo from Webster, N.Y.
- Colin Kingston, 24, was a former student from Geneseo.
‘Wrong place, wrong time’
On the Geneseo Knights’ website, the biography for Hutchinson says he was born in North Vancouver, B.C., to Keith and Susan Hutchinson and has one sister, Katelynn. He played for the Chilliwack Chiefs before starting school in the U.S. in 2012.
He spent the summer of 2015 fighting wildfires with the BC Wildfire Service. In 2012 he won a gold medal with Team Canada at the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships.
“Certainly, Matt left an impression on everybody,” said Andrew Chanler, chief of the Geneseo Fire Department. “It’s absolutely devastating news to me and the department.”
Chanler said he found out about the deaths from Geneseo’s chief of police who told him that Hutchinson “had been killed.”
Matthew Hutchinson playing hockey with the Geneseo Knights. (mghutty/Facebook)
The fire chief says Hutchinson did not live at the residence where he was found and was in “the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I did not want to believe that it could have been him,” he said over the phone to CBC News, adding that Hutchinson was a role model to his twin 10-year-old sons, who both play hockey.
“[He was] someone who truly put others before him.”
In the Knights’ biography, Hutchinson attributed his success in sports to support from his family. He said the best advice he ever received was, “never quit, because quitting ensures failure.”
On social media, his friends marked his death with condolences:
Hutch always had the biggest smile on his face no matter what and I’ll never forget that about him. Rest in peace buddy. Gone to soon #hutch
Our hearts are with you & all the boys. Oxox❤️ rest in peace Hutch #23 https://t.co/zPRdKlEngR
Love you hutch. You were an unbelievable teammate and most importantly an unbelievable friend. Rest in peace brother #chiefsfam
Geneseo police said multiple agencies are investigating the deaths but have yet to determine a cause. Another briefing will take place Monday at 2 p.m. ET.
