Man shot during overnight home invasion in Dudley

Police in the town of Dudley are looking for as many as three suspects who forced their way into a home and shot a man in the middle of the night.

At approximately midnight Wednesday, Dudley police and firefighters responded to 12 Green St. and found the 26-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest, police wrote on Facebook.

The victim was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He is expected to recover, police said.

Dudley Police Chief Steve Wojnar said there may have been one, two, or possibly three suspects involved. Initial reports indicate they forced their way into the first-floor apartment, confronted the victim, and then fled from the scene on foot. A woman and two children who were at the home were not injured during the incident, he said.

“We did get the chance to speak to the woman that was there. … Obviously, she was very upset,” Wojnar said in an interview with WHDH-TV.

“The children were taken care of. They were brought to a safe location for the night, and we’re working with the Department of Children and Families to make sure everything is OK there,” he continued. “Everybody appears to be OK, or as best they can be doing at this time.”

As of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made and the suspect or suspects remained at large, he said. Wojnar could not be reached late Wednesday afternoon.

Wojnar urged anyone with information or video footage to come forward as the investigation continues.

“We’re looking for any assistance from the public,” he said in a telephone interview with the Globe. “If anyone saw or heard anything around midnight last night, please contact us.”

Wojnar said investigators received “varied reports” regarding the number of suspects, and the victim was still in the hospital.

The shooting doesn’t appear to be a random act, according to police.

“We do believe that there was probably some kind of either relationship, or somebody was known, it was a targeted situation,” Wojnar told WHDH.

Massachusetts State Police, Webster police, and Oxford police have assisted in the investigation. Anyone with information or possible video evidence is asked to contact the Dudley Police Department at 508-943-4411.

Correspondent Jeremy C. Fox contributed to this story.