CHELSEA — An 18-year-old Lynn man was arraigned in Chelsea District Court Wednesday for his alleged role in the April 21 shooting of a 68-year-old woman, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Jefferson Barillas was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for May 2, the DA’s office said.
Barillas is charged with assault with intent to murder on a person over 60, assault and battery with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, the DA’s office said.
District Attorney Kevin Hayden met with the victim and her son prior to the arraignment, and addressed the media after Barillas was arraigned.
“I went to check in with her and see how she’s doing,” Hayden told reporters. “It’s a miracle that we’re talking about a survivor — someone who was shot in the upper right arm and chest. And it is literally a miracle that she’s alive. She and her family have shown tremendous strength and grace through this matter.”
Hayden said that after the victim was shot, she was not only concerned for own safety, but felt relief from realizing that there were no children nearby. The shooting occurred near a school during the daylight hours, he said.
In his remarks, Hayden thanked the Chelsea Police Department and Massachusetts State Police for the “incredible work” they did in “solving this matter” and identifying a suspect, who was charged in the shooting.
Hayden built upon remarks he made after the shooting last Thursday, when he said that this broad-daylight shooting illuminates the dangers posed by people who carry illegal guns and demonstrate no reluctance to use them. On Wednesday, he said there needs to be a community response to incidents like this shooting, saying that this is a case for “our society at large.”
“These are (the) types of cases that tear right at the very fabric of our communities, and tear right at the very heart of our citizens and good people,” he said. “A 68-year-old woman going to get her taxes done should never be subjected to this sort of situation, where she found herself in an incident as she described, her life changed and having been shot in the chest. Brazen acts like this in broad daylight without any conscience for the safety and welfare of others is completely unacceptable.”
