One dead in fatal shooting in Plymouth, suspect arrested

In addition to murder and child endangerment, 23-year-old Jerome was charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, improper storage of a firearm, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, improper storage of ammunition and possession of a large capacity feeding device. .

Around 5:45 p.m. Friday, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office received several calls reporting that a person had been shot in a public parking lot on Middle Street, Cruz said. Witnesses told police they heard three to four gunshots.

When police arrived, they found Berkley with a gunshot wound. Officers confronted Jerome at the scene and he was taken into custody without incident, Cruz said.

“We now live in a world where many people have a short fuse and terrible things happen very quickly and can escalate very quickly,” Cruz said.

Mathew Muratore, the state representative for Plymouth’s 1st District, said he hopes Plymouth residents will unite to improve the community.

“We are very grateful to Plymouth law enforcement for their quick action,” Muratore said. “Our prayers are with the victim’s family and friends, and we are hopeful that in this time of grief, we can come together as a community to denounce the violence and promote peace.”

Dick Quintal, chairman of the Plymouth Select Board, also added his condolences.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected by this, and a thank you to all of our first responders,” Quintal said.

Ruth Zakarin, CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, said that while great progress has been made in the state to reduce gun violence, this incident is an example of how prevalent it remains in society. She added that she was particularly concerned that a child was present and that this was happening in a public place.

“It makes me think about the fact that conflicts are significantly deadlier when they involve easy access to weapons,” Zakarin said. “Incidents like what happened last night in Plymouth really highlight the importance of continuing to strengthen our policies to keep our communities safer from gun violence.”

Plymouth City Manager Derek Brindisi praised police for their quick response.

“The incident that unfolded on Friday evening was a tragedy and our thoughts are with Mr. Berkeley’s family,” he said.

Jerome will be arraigned at Plymouth District Court on Monday morning. The shooting remains under investigation.

Adam Sennott can be reached at [email protected]. Talia Lissauer can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @_ttfotos.