BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — Alexander Echevarria, 20, was arrested for armed assault with intent to murder for allegedly shooting a Lynn man, according to Lynn District Court documents.
Echevarria of 48 Tudor St. was arraigned in Lynn District Court on Friday and held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing, set for Wednesday.
A witness to the shooting, Xavier Gonzales, 22, of Lynn, said that on March 9, he returned home from college and went to pick up the eventual shooting victim, Mark Daniels, 22, of Lynn, at 56 Essex St., according to court documents. Also present at the apartment was Echevarria and a 17-year-old Lynn resident, the report said.
Gonzales told police the trio were using Xanax and smoking marijuana and that Echevarria was “messed up” and asleep. Gonzales, Daniels and the juvenile left him there to go to 9 Hutchinson Court, the site of the shooting, to smoke marijuana. The juvenile left, and Daniels and Gonzales returned to sleep, where Echevarria was asleep on the couch, according to the police report.
Gonzales told police that he was carrying a handgun. The next morning, on March 10, he told police he was confronted by Echevarria when he was leaving to drop his mother off at work. He told police he had left his gun on the couch. Upon returning home, Gonzales realized his gun was missing. He contacted Daniels and learned he was at 9 Hutchinson Court, the police report said.
There, Gonzales was informed that Echevarria awoke from his Xanax-induced sleep the previous night to find his money, marijuana and gun missing. Echevarria told Gonzales that he took his gun. Gonzales was told by Echevarria that he confronted the juvenile earlier about the missing items, choked him, pulled out the gun, stuck in his face, and fired a round through the window of the house as he left, police said.
Gonzales told police that Echevarria refused to return his gun. Later, he said Echevarria told the group of people present at the house that each owed him money, except for Gonzales. Echevarria and Daniels moved to the sidewalk in front of the house, where Echevarria challenged Daniels, asking “you think I’m playing?”
Daniels asked him to calm down and Echevarria pulled out the gun and pointed it at him, firing one round at him. Echevarria then fired two more shots at Daniels’ chest, according to the police report.
Gonzales told police he then took Daniels to Union Hospital. He was eventually taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for life-threatening injuries, requiring surgery, according to police.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
