The popular Shoe City Basketball Tournament, held at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Lynn, was shut down early on Friday night after a man reportedly fired shots into the middle school’s crowded parking lot.
Canseco Morillo, 25, was arrested on Saturday after Lynn police identified him as the suspect in the shooting at the middle school parking lot, according to the Lynn Police Department. Morillo is expected to be arraigned on charges in relation to the shooting incident at Lynn District Court on Monday.
On Friday at 10:38 p.m., authorities said they responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Thurgood Marshall Middle School. Once officers arrived on the scene, witnesses told police an altercation took place in the parking lot which later led to shots being fired into the crowded lot.
Police found five shell casings scattered in the lot and discovered two vehicles that were struck by gunfire. A woman was attempting to leave the parking lot in her vehicle when the altercation occurred, police said.
Two rounds were fired through the windshield of her vehicle, according to authorities. The woman, who was not involved in the altercation, told police she ducked down to avoid being hit by the shots. Bullets hit the passenger headrest and driver’s seat, the woman was uninjured during the shooting, police said.
A second unoccupied vehicle was also hit by bullets during the shooting, according to Lynn police.
After reviewing security footage, Lynn police identified Morillo as the suspect of the shooting. Police said the footage showed Morillo involved in an altercation with another man. Morillo was seen running away before he turned to pull out a gun and fire several shots recklessly into the crowded lot.
Authorities said the video showed shots being fired into the windshield of the woman victim’s vehicle. Large groups of people were also in the lot and leaving the area when the shooting occurred. Police said the shooting caused event attendees to panic and hide under the gym bleachers.
The Shoe City Basketball Tournament was canceled for safety concerns shortly after the shooting took place, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson said in a statement.
“We are relieved that no one was seriously injured last night,” Nicholson said in the statement. “While we are very disappointed that this happened and the consequences, including the loss of a beloved tournament, we must continue to put everyone’s safety first.”
The shooting incident is still under investigation.
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