Lowell Woman Hit By Bullets Fired From Outside Home

WOBURN - Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that a woman lying in bed inside her home this morning was hit by bullets which were fired from outside at 134 Lakeview Avenue. The victim, 38, of Lowell, is being treated at Boston Medical Center in Boston, where she underwent surgery, and where she is listed in critical condition. 

"Evidence is still being gathered in this incident,” said District Attorney Ryan. “But it appears already that this was a targeted shooting. Someone or several people riddled the home with bullets aiming to hurt or intimidate a specific individual in the household, and the victim was just an innocent party.”

Police Superintendent William Taylor added, "Officers with the Lowell Police Department along with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office are actively working this investigation and at this point we do not believe this was a random event."

Today, at approximately 6:10 a.m, the Lowell Police Department responded to a shooting at 134 Lakeview Avenue and found a woman injured inside a building. Outside the home, police officers found 19 shell casings apparently from two weapons. Police say the woman was lying on a bed when she was struck by bullets fired by guns which a suspect or suspects were holding outside. Other people in the household, including a one year old child, were not injured.

Because of a rash of similar incidents in the Greater Lowell area in the last year, where shots were fired at dwellings, District Attorney Ryan collaborated with several elected leaders to draft legislation to make this behavior a felony in Massachusetts. This past January, the proposed bill, HD 990, was filed for the 2015 legislative session. District Attorney Ryan says, “The individuals firing into buildings have complete disregard for where the bullets are going and give no thought to the fact that they could kill someone by shooting up doors, windows, and the outside of homes. This trend needs to be addressed legislatively so that those who fire into dwellings can be charged accordingly.”

Th lead sponsor of HD 990 is State Representative Rady Mom and co-sponsors include Representatives James Arciero, David Nangle, Thomas Golden, and State Senator Eileen Donoghue.

Today's incident at 134 Lakeview Avenue is being investigated by the Lowell Police Department and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.