Recovered firearms had defaced serial numbers, in violation of Massachusetts law
A Brattleboro man has been arrested for attempted murder in connection with an early morning shooting in a Boston, MA bar this weekend.
The shooting came just five days after Burlington voters approved a ban on carrying firearms in bars and liquor-serving restaurants, in an effort to prevent or reduce such shootings. Both suspects are believed to have been carrying firearms with obliterated serial numbers, a crime under Massachusetts state law. It is illegal to deface a gun’s serial number, and possession of a defaced gun is accepted as a violation of that crime.
The shooting occurred at 25 Kingston St., the address for Kingston Station, billed on social media as a New American bar and restaurant. A gun with a defaced serial number was later recovered after the arrest. Boston police say that at about 12:23 AM, on Saturday, March 8, officers assigned to District A-1 (Downtown) responded to the area of 25 Kingston Street for a report of a person shot.
The victim was treated by Boston EMS and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While officers were at the hospital, a second adult male victim self-applied to the Emergency Room with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Officers on scene recovered ballistic evidence from inside the establishment, and a crime scene was located. Officers were able to review security cameras and broadcasted a description of two suspects fleeing the area in a motor vehicle.
An officer was able to follow the vehicle on security cameras and observed the vehicle stop in the area of Edinboro Street. The officer observed on camera the passenger opened the door and discarded an unknown object before fleeing towards I-93 South. Officers responded to the area of Edinboro Street and recovered a Glock 19 with no magazine, and the serial number was obliterated.
Boston Police Operations broadcasted the description of the suspects and the motor vehicle to surrounding agencies. At about 4:00 AM, detectives were notified by Massachusetts State Police that the suspects and motor vehicle were stopped on Route 24 South in Fall River. The suspects were placed under arrest and transported to District A-1 for booking. The vehicle was towed to Boston Police Headquarters, and secured pending a search warrant.
Eliezer Quinones, 26, of Brattleboro, Vermont, was charged with Armed Assault with Intent to Murder, and Aggravated Assault and Battery.
Jahleel Sanders-Williams, 28, of Lynn, was charged with Armed Assault with Intent to Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm 2nd Offense, and Defacement of a Firearm Serial Number.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
Much of the reporting of the incident was sourced from a Boston PD press statement.