Arrests in Lawrence shooting case
Two Lawrence men are facing charges in connection to the investigation into a mass shooting from over the weekend in which an 18-year-old was killed.
Saul Enrique Morales Espinosa, 22, and Joshual Ramirez, 20, were arrested Monday on gun charges amid the investigation into the deadly shooting at a Lawrence house party, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Six people were struck by gunfire at the party early Sunday morning, and Lawrence 18-year-old Desiderio Arias died following the shooting.
Espinosa and Ramirez have each been charged with two felony counts: carrying a firearm without a license, and carrying a loaded firearm.
Espinosa and Ramirez both pleaded not guilty during remote arraignments on Monday. Espinosa remains hospitalized in Boston with gunshot wounds, while Ramirez remains hospitalized locally, also with gunshot wounds.
They were each held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing next week.
The Lawrence Police Department responded at about 3 a.m. Sunday to a disturbance call at 5 Royal St., where they found the six shooting victims.
All were taken to Lawrence General Hospital, where Arias was pronounced dead.
Espinosa and another individual were flown by medical helicopter to Boston hospitals for additional treatment.
Based on the initial investigation, the shootings are not believed to be random.
The Gun Violence Archive, a leading gun violence tracker database, added the Lawrence shooting to its 2023 mass shooting list on Sunday. Their definition for a mass shooting is four or more people shot and/or killed in a single incident.
The Lawrence shooting was the first mass shooting of the year in the Bay State, according to the Gun Violence Archive. As of the final day of April, 184 mass shootings had been recorded across the country so far this year.
The case remains under active investigation by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit and detectives from the Lawrence Police Department. The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section has assisted in the case.