3 suspects in fatal shooting at a 21st birthday party in Northborough early Sunday arraigned
WESTBOROUGH — Three suspects in a fatal shooting at a 21st birthday party in Northborough early Sunday were arraigned in Westborough District Court Monday.
Authorities say gunfire erupted during a gathering of several hundred people at a rented house at 333 Howard St. Officers from Northborough and surrounding communities converged on the scene about 1 a.m.
A 16-year-old male from Bellingham was shot and killed, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. He was pronounced dead at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
“One Northborough Officer, Sgt. (Michael) Bisset and a state police trooper carried the victim to the bottom of the hill where there was a waiting ambulance,” Early said during a press conference Sunday.
Early said another shooting victim — a 17-year-old male who was shot in the buttocks — was treated at Marlborough Hospital and released.
Two other people were treated at Marlborough Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Early said.
Early and Northborough Police Chief Brian T. Griffin said police found a “chaotic scene” with “approximately 300 people” at the party early Sunday morning.
Early said there is an Airbnb adjacent to the property where the owner lives.
An online real estate booking website lists a property at 333 Howard St. in Northborough. The listing touts a "peaceful getaway cottage on grounds of a historic mid-century gem."
The three people charged in the case are identified by authorities as Wallisom Texeira Da Silva, 20, of Hyde Park; Arnoldo Nogueira Filho, 19, 243 Boston Post Road East, Apt. 11, Marlborough; and Pedro Desouza-Passos, 27, Rockland. They were arraigned Monday in Westborough District Court.
The defendants remained behind a board during the arraignment, out of sight of news cameras.
Da Silva is charged with unlicensed possession of an assault weapon, possession of a firearm used in a felony, possession of ammunition without a FID card, and carrying a firearm without a license.
Filho and Desouza-Passos are both charged with possession of an unlicensed assault weapon and ammunition without a FID card.
According to the statement of facts written by Northborough Police Det. Stephen F. Sullivan II, police were “processing” a silver Nissan with a New York registration around 2:50 a.m.
The driver and the front passenger were two women, while the three suspects who police were about to arrest and charge were sitting in the backseat, according to the statement of facts.
According to the statement of facts, filed with court records, the happening at 333 Howard St. was in celebration of the driver’s 21st birthday.
Police located ammunition in two black purses in the rear passenger seats of the vehicle.
A 9 mm, 30-round magazine (with 17 bullets) was found rolled up in a light blue XS Shein shirt in one of the black purses. A 9 mm bullet was also found loose inside the same purse, according to the statement of facts.
The second purse, a black Gucci bag, contained a Brazilian passport belonging to Da Silva and one 9 mm bullet.
While no one claimed ownership of the first bag, Da Silva claimed ownership of the Gucci bag.
As the sun was rising, Lt. William Griffin located a firearm on the grass near the path from the driveway to the Airbnb. The firearm did not have a serial number on it and it was suspected to be a 9 mm, according to the statement of facts.
During the booking process, Da Silva claimed ownership of the firearm that Lt. Griffin had located on the property grounds, according to the statement of facts.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Luzzo asked Judge Timothy M. Bibaud to hold Da Silva without bail pending a dangerousness hearing. Defense lawyer Jacqueline M. Bush Dutton had no objection. Da Silva is being held pending the dangerous hearing slated for May 20.
Luzzo requested both Filho and Desouza-Passos be held on $50,000 cash bail, while the appointed attorneys for the defense both argued that bail should be set at $1,000 for Filho and Desouza-Passos should be allowed to leave on personal recognizance.
Both defense attorneys for Filho and Desouza-Passos argued that the statement of facts are “somewhat strange” and there are plenty of questions on how the police got in the purses and the vehicle, questions that will be brought up during any future court proceedings, they indicated.
In addition, the attorneys for Filho and Desouza-Passos said that their respective clients never claimed ownership of the ammunition found in either of the purses nor the gun found on the grounds.
In both cases, Bibaud ruled that Filho and Desouza-Passos be held on $25,000 cash bail.
Luzzo said there is a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement on both Da Silva and Filho, so they can be detained an additional 48 hours after their release date in order to provide ICE agents extra time to decide whether to take them into federal custody for removal purposes.
Authorities have not released the name of the shooting victim who lived in Bellingham but is not a student in the town's school system, according to Bellingham police.
About 1 a.m. Sunday, pedestrians flagged a police officer to let them know that someone brandished a firearm at 333 Howard St., authorities said.
While police were assembling and preparing to enter the property, they heard multiple gunshots, Early said.“It was a little after 1 a.m. when a Northborough Police officer was flagged down by a partygoer right on Howard Street indicating that a firearm was displayed in the house,” Chief Griffin said. “That officer then called for assistance with other officers and as the officers were gathering down on this street to approach the property. That is when gunshots rung out.”
The investigation is ongoing. Chief Griffin said if anyone has information and/or video, to call the Northborough Police Department at (508) 393-1515.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 3 suspects in fatal shooting at party in Northborough Sunday arraigned
