Questions remain in Lynn 2009 Christmas Eve murder

(This is another story in a series about cold cases in the city of Lynn.)LYNN – On Christmas Eve 2009, Bennett Halprin was standing inside his apartment at 23 Atlantic St., when he was shot by a spray of bullets that ripped through his front door and pierced his heart. As he bled to death while being cradled in his son?s arms, the killer took off running and has been on the lam ever since.Nearly two years later, the question that remains on Lynn Police Capt. Mark O?Toole?s mind, is whether the four gunshots were actually meant for Halprin, a 66-year-old MBTA bus driver, or his alleged hoodlum son.?By all accounts, he (Halprin) was not someone who would be targeted,” O?Toole said. “He didn?t have a criminal past, didn?t have any problems and was a hard worker. His son, (Abraham Jacob Halprin) has an extensive criminal record and associates with violent people.”O?Toole also wonders if a knock had been made at Halprin?s second-floor apartment that afternoon, or if he just happened by chance to be standing in the wrong area at the wrong time. Abraham had been in another part of the house when his father was murdered and, according to O?Toole, has yet to be very forthright with any information.?Abraham still lives in the apartment with his mother,” he said. “Since the murder, both have given very limited cooperation in the investigation.”As a result, the only description of the suspect is that he was an African-American man with a goatee, who was wearing a dark jacket. O?Toole said police had cordoned off a half-block area at the corner of Atlantic and Baltimore streets during the initial investigation assisted by the Massachusetts State Police.Emergency crews attempted to treat Halprin?s massive wounds at the scene, but he died a half-hour later at Union Hospital.?We?re hoping for any information about the person responsible for the shooting,” O?Toole said. “The description that we have is vague, and we know that there are people out there who know what happened and can help.”Little is know about Halprin, the happy-go-lucky bus driver who won a $10,000 award from the Publisher?s Clearing House in 2001. His son, according to O?Toole, was instead well-known for his alleged criminal background.Abraham was arrested in 1999 for possession of a class B substance, and more recently charged with a slew of offenses involving an alleged attempt to sell drugs to an undercover officer.?He was there for the (Vincent Gaskins) murder (November 2009) and is known to associate with gang members,” O?Toole said. “We?ve tried to talk to him, but he won?t talk.”Anyone with information about this cold case is urged to call the police at 781-595-2000. Anonymous tips can be submitted by texting the word tiplynn and the information to tip411. Tips can also be sent through the department?s website, www.lynnpolice.org and clicking the “submit tip” icon.