Beaches Set to Close After Two Suspected Shark Attacks

Amity town officials have decided to shut down the beaches for 24 hours following two deaths suspected to have been caused by shark attacks.
This decision was announced at a meeting last night called to discuss the town’s response to the deaths of two Amity citizens. The deaths of Wendy Watson and Alex Kintner are both under investigation, and the police department has said that they have been linked to possible shark activities.
Watson, a 16-year-old sophomore at Amity High School, was found dead on the beach on the night of July 1. There were no witnesses to her death, although an unidentified male said that Watson had decided to go swimming in a remote area of the beach.
Kintner, who was 10 at the time of his death, was killed while playing with friends in the waters of the crowded Village Beach. Witnesses report that Kintner had been floating on a rubber raft when he disappeared under the water. His body has not been found, though his raft had what appeared to be a large bite mark in it.
In response to the death of her son, Audrey Kintner has offered a $3,000 reward to anyone who kills the shark that is suspected in his death.
Chief of Police Martin Brody announced a different response to the killings. Last night, at the meeting between Mayor Bob Farley, Chief Brody, and the Amity Board of Selectmen, Brody announced that the beaches were going to be closed.
Mayor Farley said that the beaches were only going to be closed for 24 hours, and Brody said that the town was trying to get shark spotters and extra summer deputies to come help.
Fisherman Ben Quint, who was also at the meeting, offered to catch and kill the shark for $10,000.