Suspect Illegally Detained Two Visitors at Foxwoods Resort Casino in CT

One person is in custody after several police agencies swarmed a hotel room at Foxwoods Resorts Casino on Monday.

The authorities responded to the property in Mashantucket, Connecticut after there were reports that an individual “unlawfully restrained” two others. The captives were quickly released, and the police denied allegations of a hostage situation.

The casino’s operations were not affected by the incident.

What happened during the incident?

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation police issued a statement around 10:30 a.m. addressing the ongoing situation.

“There is an active law enforcement situation in a Fox Tower hotel room,” the statement read. “The area has been contained by MPTN police and local law enforcement, and is isolated. The safety and security of our guests and team members remain our highest priority.”

About 90 minutes later, another update revealed that the suspect illegally detained two people.

The incident, which transpired in a room in one of the property’s two towers, was deemed an isolated incident that came to a swift end.

Foxwood also released a statement around 2:20 confirming the situation had ended.

“We would like to thank the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Police Department, Connecticut State Police, local authorities and all agencies that played a part in safely resolving this situation,” a statement released by a spokesperson read. “Normal operations on the property have resumed.”

The Foxwoods Resort Casino

Several law enforcement agencies, including the Connecticut State Police, the Ledyard Police, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation police, were involved in settling the dispute.

The identity of the suspect who was taken into custody has not been released. It is unclear what exactly happened in the room, or what their motive was.

Foxwoods is one of only two casinos that are in Connecticut. The other is the famous Mohegan Sun, which has been around since 2003.

Foxwood was originally a bingo hall opened by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in 1986 after they gained federal recognition in 1983. 

The facility transitioned to a casino in 1992. Today, it boasts 344,000 square feet of gaming space and has 2,228 hotel rooms spread across two hotel towers, the Great Cedar and Grand Pequot (re-branded the Fox Tower in 2013).