LYNN — A shooting in Lynn at around 5:35 p.m. Saturday on Quincy Terrace left a man dead and five others injured, police said.
Quincy Terrace residents reported that the shooting occurred on the set of a low-budget music video.
“Numerous people, after being shot, fled the scene — which scattered the crime scene down to Washington Street,” said Police Lt. Michael Kmiec. “Later we were advised that one of the individuals had succumbed to his injuries.”
The Essex District Attorney’s office on Monday morning stated that Gustavo Santana, 31 of Lynn, died Saturday night.
According to DA’s spokeswoman Carrie Kimball, four victims were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, at least two with life-threatening injuries, and two were transported to Salem Hospital. Specific information as to the condition of the other victims is not available, stated Kimball, however, they are all alive.
Mass State Police and Lynn Police detectives are actively investigating the case. No arrests had been made as of noon Sunday, Kmiec said.
Jennifer Thompson, who lives on the terrace, was out walking her dog Hookah at around 5:30 p.m. Saturday when she spotted six men filming something with a gimbal (a camera-holder that can pivot).
According to Thompson, two men sat inside a silver Honda about halfway down the terrace, displaying fake 20-dollar bills on the dash, while another filmed them from the steps of a porch.
Three more men stood on a porch on the opposite side of the narrow terrace, watching the scene.
She reported that she recognized one of the men — who was about 6-5, and skinny — as an individual who had threatened her and flashed a gun at her in the past after she complained about him shooting off fireworks.
She went upstairs to her apartment and, shortly after, heard a spray of gunshots from the street below.
“I’ve been around guns my whole life, and this was not a controlled spray,” said Thompson. “I could tell from the sound that this gun he had was either a semi-automatic or a full-automatic. Because literally the spray of bullets was about 20 to 30 in like three seconds.”
Lynn Police would not speculate on the motive for the shooting, or on the weapons used.
After the gunfire, Thompson said she witnessed three men run past the window of her room in the direction of Washington Street, which runs perpendicular to the terrace, before splitting up.
“I heard all three of them say oh s—, oh s—, I’m hit,” said Thompson.
Travis Lorini, who lives in Quincy Terrace, reported that the shooter had opened up on the group from Rogers Avenue, which is parallel to Washington Street — and that he had likely fled in that direction as well.
He said he was at a nearby store when the shooting happened, and that he ran home, past the crime scene, with gunsmoke still in the air, to make sure his two kids were safe.
He said he saw the man who later died on the ground near his apartment.
“When I got here he was already unconscious,” he said. “He had his shirt off so I could see that his chest wasn’t moving.”
He had seen the victims around the neighborhood before, he said.
“They’re like neighborhood kids,” said Lorini. “Not bad guys. They’re around here sometimes, drinking and filming videos. They’re usually respectful. I let them be and they let me be.”
After the gunfire, several of the victims fled down Washington Street, police said. One collapsed facedown in the middle of the street, and was transported to a hospital.
Another, who had been shot in the chest, found his way to the lobby of George Manuel’s apartment building.
“I saw two victims, one lying in the street and one outside my lobby door.” reported George Manuel. “He was yelling help me, help me.”
Shortly after the shooting, police, medics and camera crews arrived on the scene.
“It was like a Christmas tree,” said Manuel. “Police everywhere. Everything lit up.”
Thompson counted more than 47 evidence markers placed by police at the scene and watched them tear up the walls of terrace housing to find bullets.
A man identifying himself as simply “Santos,” a roofer who lives in the terrace, went outside after the shooting to find the tire of his work van flattened by a bullet. A red Honda, which was parked on Washington Street Sunday morning was also reportedly struck.
“I come outside and I think, what happened?” said Santos, shaking his head. “I have no choice but to fix it myself. I gotta pick up my daughter and go to work.”
Santos, who has lived in Quincy Terrace for five years, didn’t know any of the men involved.
“I just work and go to the gym,” he said.
Lorini, a single dad who has also lived in the terrace for five years, was shaken up by the whole ordeal, and was worried about the safety of his children.
“You would never expect this to happen the day after Christmas,” said Lorini. “But I guess you would never expect it to happen at all. It’s made my resolve to move bigger. I gotta get out of here.”
