LAWRENCE — The victim of the Friday afternoon train station shooting told investigators the man who shot him was his best friend.
Taylor Harrington, 24, of East Boston at first tried to tell police he did not know his assailant, but later owned up after police described train station video that showed him shaking hands with Mark Greenlaw, 30, of 17 Union St., North Andover.
When police checked Harrington's cell phone they found a listing for a "Marky Mark," later found to be Greenlaw, and several calls to and from Greenlaw's number throughout the day and just before the shooting.
He told police Greenlaw was at the train station at South Union and Merrimack streets to meet him and when he got out of the cab, the pair shook hands and Greenlaw asked him to carry his bag, which he did. They both walked down the platform and Greenlaw bent down to open the bag and the victim told police he saw some towels inside the bag. Greenlaw put his hands in the bag and Harrington told police the next thing he saw was his left leg explode through his pants.
He told police he turned and hopped away from Greenlaw and took his pants off so he could wrap them around his leg.
He was taken to Lawrence General Hospital and later transferred to Tufts Medical Center, where he was interviewed by investigators. He told police he did not see what happened to Greenlaw or the bag, and that he believed the shooting was not intentional.
Greenlaw was arrested as he rode his bike home from a local drugstore.
He was found to have a pill bottle in his possession which contained cocaine, police said.
Greenlaw was held without bail until today for a hearing to determine whether he poses a danger to the community and should remain locked up pending his trial.
