Somerville man charged in Malden shooting

Woman remains hospitalized with severe injuries

A Somerville man is facing criminal charges for allegedly opening fire in the lobby of a Malden apartment complex on Sunday, severely wounding a woman who remained hospitalized on Tuesday, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office.

Mohamed Abdulaziz, 35, was slated for arraignment Tuesday from his hospital bed at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is being treated for injuries sustained in the incident, Ryan’s office said in a statement.

Abdulaziz is charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of ammunition. Arraignment results weren’t immediately available, and it wasn’t clear if Abdulaziz had obtained a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

At 2:22 a.m. on Sunday, Abdulaziz entered the lobby of the complex on Overlook Ridge Drive and “allegedly discharged his firearm,” striking a 33-yearold woman, officials said. She remained hospitalized with lifethreatening injuries.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that the defendant entered the lobby targeting a male, potentially with the intent to rob him,” prosecutors said. “During the altercation, the man who was targeted also discharged a firearm. That man has not been located at this time.”

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Malden police at 781-3977171, via their text line at 847411, or online at maldenpd.com.

On Sunday, Larry Zepeda, 33, said he heard about six gunshots ring out at about 2:15 a.m. It was loud enough to jolt him and his wife, who live in a neighboring building, from bed.

He said he looked out to see a chaotic scene involving a crowd of young people who were dressed up.

“I see kids flying around, screaming,” he said.

He waited until police came before he went outside because “I didn’t want to get involved in anything crazy,” he said.

When he did go out and look — and take a video — he saw a woman on the floor of the lobby with first responders administering CPR.