Report of gun at Swampscott party surprises neighbors

SWAMPSCOTT – Neighbors said they were surprised by reports of a late-night party involving suspected gang members from Lynn where police recovered a stolen handgun from a fleeing suspect.”They’ve had parties there before, but not big ones,” said neighbor Sean Barow. Barow said that he had been away over the weekend but he could not recall other incidents that might have sparked a complaint – other than some brief honking of cars after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. “It’s a good neighborhood, we like living here?my dog’s probably the loudest thing in the neighborhood.”According to a press release from the police department, officers responded at 12:16 a.m. Saturday morning to a report of a loud party at 211 Burrill St. Officers approached a group of men outside the home, when a suspect described as “a light skin Hispanic or African American male” ran inside the house after refusing to show his hands. The press release said that the suspect dropped a gun while he fled.”(He) had his hands behind his back and refused to show his hands to the officer,” the report reads. “The male party ran inside 211 Burrill St., with (officers) in pursuit, while chasing the male suspect a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun fell to the ground from the suspect.”While one officer retrieved the gun, the press release said other officers chased the male inside where approximately 60 people were dancing. The press release said that police officers searched the residence and determined that the suspect had jumped out a second-story window.Police from Marblehead and Nahant as well as members of the Lynn Police patrol and gang units responded to the incident, according to the press release. Officers from Lynn identified several males at the scene who have ties to the city’s Asian gangs and believe they may know the suspect allegedly with the gun, the release said. The released added that the handgun was learned to have been stolen out of Brookline, N.H.Most residents on Monday morning had not heard about the incident and expressed surprise.”It’s a very quiet neighborhood,” said longtime resident Sara Petrillo. She said that she had been home but not disturbed this weekend. She also said she had never had any noise complaints before. “Not in this block.”Susan Ellsworth, the owner of The Cup ?n Board specialty foods shop located next door to the apartment where the incident occurred, said that she had no problem with the tenants who live above her business.”It’s never been a problem,” she said. In fact, she said, when she closed on Saturday evening, she had assumed that it was a kid’s party because there were still yellow and pink balloons on the stairs to the home’s entrance. “I’m sure it’s fine. It was probably celebrating the end of school, summer starting and nice weather?I’ve never had issues.”