Beach shooters held on no bail

LYNN – Two men who traded gunfire on a crowded local beach last Saturday evening remain jailed without bail until their appearances at public dangerousness hearings scheduled for July 28.Sophy Chhum, 19, 85 Sheridan St. Apt. 3, and Chrisna Choun, 18, 42 Vine St., pleaded innocent earlier this week to multiple assault charges, including assault to murder and firearms charges.The pair’s gun battle near the Ward Bathhouse tot lot in Nahant erupted shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday as beach-goers enjoyed a sunny day.Choun, a member of the Bloods street gang, told State Trooper Raymond Thompson the shoot-out began after he encountered three “female affiliates” of the rival Crips gang and Chhum arrived by car at the bathhouse a short time later.”Choun states that Chhum begins yelling ‘Crips, Crips over and over and then begins shooting at him with a revolver?Choun states that at this time, he removes his .22-caliber pistol from his right front pocket and begins to return fire,” Raymond wrote in his report filed in District Court, adding, “The beach was at full capacity during this incident with families/children due to the nice weather.”Choun told the trooper he ran out of bullets and fled down the beach as Chhum chased him with a baseball bat.Nahant Police Lt. Thomas Hutton rushed to the bathhouse in response to a police dispatch call and drew his gun on Choun who had managed to wrestle the bat away from Chhum. Choun dropped his gun in the surf before surrendering to Hutton.Lynn and State Police responding to the beach arrested Chhum as bystanders pointed him out.Both men are being held in the Essex County House of Correction in Middleton.Choun told told Thompson he was shot by a rival Crips gang members a month ago and had lost his kidney and spleen.