Shocking: 14 Year Old Charged with Murder in Springfield, MA
1A teenager has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting in Springfield.
Springfield Police spokesperson Ryan Walsh said that officers were called to the 0-100 block of Phoenix Street for a ShotSpotter activation in the afternoon of April 12. When they arrived, they found an adult male shooting victim, who was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died.
An investigation by the Springfield Police homicide unit led to a murder warrant being issued against 14-year-old Legacy Lopez, who was arrested Thursday morning.
Western Mass News had the only cameras rolling for Lopez' arraignment, but we have been asked not to show his face, due to his young age
Lopez was charged with murder, firing a firearm within 500 feet of a building, and carrying a firearm without a license.
It's a case that's left state leaders like Representative Bud Williams shocked.
"Beyond my wildest imagination, I never could have envisioned a 14-year-old being involved in this latest incident."
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno shared his thoughts with Western Mass News, saying in part:
"It is a sad state of affairs when a 14-year-old and family members are so desensitized that, to them, it is ok to use a gun to kill another human being β the ultimate act of violence, taking someone's life. In the old days, arguments/disagreements that could not be settled by talking it out, many a times would be settled with fists. Unfortunately, we live in a different world now."
While Williams has sympathy for the families of both the suspect and the victim, he still has important questions on his mind.
"How in the world does a 14-year-old individual get their hands on a lethal weapon that could kill someone? That's the question."
Although it is unclear what type of gun was used in this shooting, Williams said he and other lawmakers continue trying to keep illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of young people