LAWRENCE — A man is dead and a woman is reported to be losing a fight for her life in a Boston Hospital after four people were shot in a crowded Broadway nightclub early yesterday morning. Two men were charged with murder in Lawrence's fourth homicide of the year.
Two others were shot, and police said one man sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to Boston Medical Center. A second woman was treated at Lawrence General Hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
A man in his early 20s, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at La Guira Restaurant at 205 Broadway when police arrived after the 12:45 a.m. shooting.
The woman who was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, was not expected to recover, police said.
"Given what we're hearing, it appears she not expected to survive her injuries," police Chief John Romero said yesterday.
Police did not identify any of the shooting victims yesterday, but an aunt and uncle identified the woman taken to Massachusetts General as Amarilis Roldan, 24, of Dorchester. The family members said she had died yesterday morning, but Romero said police had not received notification of a second victim's death from the hospital. A Massachusetts General Hospital spokeswoman said Roldan was not listed in their directory.
Two men fled the scene but were apprehended by Lawrence police in Lowell after a chase. John Saintclair, 30, and Fernando Guerrero, 27, who Romero said also uses the last name Lara, were charged with murder. Both men said they were from Lawrence, but Romero said police were working to confirm their identities last night. The two are to be arraigned today in Lawrence District Court.
Witnesses told police that only one gun was used in the crime, but Romero said that had not been confirmed. Romero said he saw a cake inside the club, but did not know if a birthday party was being held there.
Police arrived at the La Guira to find a chaotic scene.
"The officers who responded initially said that people were just pouring out of the club," Romero said.
Romero said an officer saw the alleged shooters get into a car. The officer took down the license plate and pursued the vehicle. State police assisted in the pursuit, Romero said, which ended in Lowell when the car went off the road. Both men were brought back to Lawrence and charged with murder.
Inside the club, police found three people who had been shot, one who was declared dead. The two other victims found in the club where taken to Lawrence General Hospital so they could be flown to Boston hospitals.
"That's where we found out there was a fourth victim," Romero said.
A woman who worked as a waitress at La Guira had been shot in the leg, Romero said, and had been driven by someone to the hospital before police arrived. She was in stable condition yesterday, Romero said.
Ramon Vega and Daisy Lopez of Boston, a married couple who said they were Roldan's uncle and aunt, said doctors had not been able to save their niece. They came to El Guira yesterday to pick up her car.
Lopez, who cried as she spoke, said Roldan had two young children, a boy and a girl.
"She was a good mother," Lopez said. "I feel sad for the family."
Lopez said Roldan was not at the club for a birthday party, but just for a rare night out with her sister and a cousin. She said Roldan did not know the other people who had been shot.
"She'd never go out," she said.
Vega said his niece was originally from Puerto Rico. He and Lopez arrived at Massachusetts General at 4 a.m., and gathered with Roldan's mother, cousins and other family. She said doctors had tried unsuccessfully to save Roldan.
"They did a surgery, and they said that they were going to do everything they can," Lopez said.
Gaetan Demers, 58, who lives across the street from the club, said he heard about four "pops" before running to his window.
"I heard people starting to scream," he said.
He saw people running in all directions and knew what had happened.
"I knew it was gunshots," he said. "I knew it was trouble."
Demers called police and then headed up to his roof, where he watched the aftermath of the shooting through binoculars. He said the club has been getting rowdier lately, with an advertising van parking outside and blasting music well after the club's closing time on weekend nights.
"I believe since the police force has been reduced, they've been kind of doing what they want," Demers said.
Romero said the holiday weekend shooting is part of the city's ongoing problem with late-night violence at clubs.
"Lawrence has a lot of night clubs and a lot of our violence has been in and around the clubs," he said. "It's problematic."
The sign in front of La Guira said it was a restaurant, but the windows were completely blacked out and the only thing visible yesterday through a small clear spot in the glass were some bar stools and a liquor advertisement plastered across a wall. Romero said restaurants serving food can stay open later than clubs, which must close at 1 a.m. There had been some past reports of trouble from La Guira and nearby, and Romero said police would investigate the restaurant.
"Right now our focus is obviously the shooting," he said.
He said there was broken glass all over the club when police arrived.
"It was a mess," he said. "You could tell there was a serious act of violence that took place."
Romero told reporters yesterday it was about as serious a shooting as he had seen in Lawrence.
"In my 12 years I don't think we've had more than four people shot," he said.
Romero said there were many witnesses to the crime, and that many had been helpful. He urged anyone who saw the shooting to call Lawrence detectives at 978-794-5900, ext. 625.
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