LAWRENCE - A 22-year-old man is clinging to life after he was wounded in the neck during a drive-by shooting early yesterday.

The victim, Serafy Rivera-Deleon of 144 Margin St. in Lawrence, was in critical condition last night at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Although police have no suspects, the shooting is not believed to be random, and a witness says Rivera-Deleon was robbed by his attackers only a few weeks ago.

"He's in grave condition," police Chief John Romero said.

Rivera-Deleon sat in the driver's seat of a tan Acura near the intersection of Common and Newbury streets when a white Acura with at least two people inside pulled up about 1:45 a.m. and someone inside opened fire, according to police.

At least four rounds were fired, Romero said.

Police received calls of shots fired and responded immediately, finding two men who were in the car with Rivera-Deleon standing outside the vehicle and the victim slumped in his seat and covered with blood.

"They shot my friend, they shot my friend," cried 31-year-old Felix Dolores, a police report said.

As a precaution, Officer Adam Goujon pointed his gun at Dolores and ordered him to put his hands in the air, not knowing who was involved in the shooting.

"I think he's dead. Help him please," pleaded Dolores, also a Lawrence resident.

Officer Michael Mangan took Dolores and the other man in the tan Acura, Ivan Espinal, 21, of Lawrence, aside to get information while Goujon helped Rivera-Deleon.

Goujon performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Rivera-Deleon, who he said had a "weak pulse." The officer took a T-shirt that was lying nearby and pressed it against the man's chest to try to stop the bleeding until a rescue crew arrived and took over.

Emergency medical technicians rushed Rivera-Deleon to Lawrence General Hospital. He was later taken to Massachusetts General.

It is not clear if Rivera-Deleon was the intended target or if the gunman aimed for someone else in the car, Romero said.

Rivera-Deleon does not own the car he was driving, and the gunman fired at it from the passenger's side, the chief said.

"Based on our investigation, this does not appear to be a random shooting," Romero said. "But we can't say that even this particular individual was the target, but his vehicle was a target."

Police do not know the motive. There were no arrests or suspects as of last night, but state troopers assigned to District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett's office are investigating, Romero said.

"We have some leads," Romero said.

Dolores told Goujon the suspect rode in either a 1999 or 2000 white four-door Acura and drove down Common Street toward Union Street after shooting his friend. He added that they "had robbed the victim of his gold chain a few weeks prior to this night," Goujon wrote in his report.

The officers found shell casings at the scene, indicating the gunman used an automatic weapon, Romero said.

Rivera-Deleon is known to police. They arrested him on drug charges in March 2006, including possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. They arrested him again in July, charging him with drinking in public and disorderly conduct, according to police logs.

Residents of the Margin Street neighborhood where Rivera-Deleon lives said they do not know him.