Lynn Tech grad killed in Everett

LYNN – A Lynn native was killed early Thursday morning, the victim of gunfire resulting from an argument in the parking lot of the Braza Bar and Grill in Everett, police and Middlesex District Attorney officials said.The victim, Ashlee “Penny” Berryman had been living in Malden. She had just turned 21 and was a graduate of Lynn Tech, where she played girls’ basketball.Reportedly, she was at the club to see her boyfriend, who is a rapper, perform.According to the Middlesex DA’s office, Berryman, who leaves behind a 3-year-old son, was not believed to be the intended target of the shooting, which occurred shortly before 1 a.m.Her death has stunned members of the Lynn community, especially those who coached her when she played girls’ basketball for Tech.”She was outstanding and always smiling,” said Rob Smith, who coached her at Tech. “This is a tragedy, I’m still in shock.”The violence has to stop,” Smith said. “She was a young mother who prevailed at a young age.””This is tragic,” said Kevin McDormand, who was her head coach at Tech. “Ashlee was just really adored by her teammates, and she was an important member of the Lynn Tech community.”On the court she was incredibly tough and off the court she was just a sweet young lady with a magical smile that her teammates just gravitated to,” he said.According to reports, witnesses who live in the neighboring apartment building said that an argument in the parking lot of the bar quickly turned violent. A resident of the building that claimed to have seen the shooting take place said that he saw people arguing in the parking lot just before she heard eight loud gunshots.Berryman was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett, where she was pronounced dead.”I am deeply saddened by the fatal shooting of a young woman that took place last night in our city,” Everett Mayor Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said. “It is troubling to think that someone would disrupt our community by callously taking the life of another.”On behalf of the City of Everett, I am offering my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased,” DeMaria said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they are faced with this cruel reality.”He also said police do not believe the shooting was a random act and are working with District Attorney Marian Ryan to apprehend the shooter.Also, he said, “I encourage the licensing board to investigate this incident and fully review the premises of the homicide.”Berryman was one of five victims shot to death Wednesday in a spate of violence in the Boston area. Two of them took place in city sections of Roxbury and Mattapan, and the other was in Cambridge.