Shots fired into a crowd in Roxbury Thursday night struck two people, injuring one and killing 22-year-old Raheem Ramirez, according to Boston police.
Officers responded to 21 Greenville Street at about 11 p.m. Thursday night and found Ramirez and a companion suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to Boston Medical Center, where Ramirez died. The second man, a 24-year-old, will survive, according to police.
Two men were arrested in connection with the shooting but have not been charged with murder, although they were held on $100,000 bail while the investigation continues.
Lamar Brison, 26, and Elijah Small, 19, both of Dorchester, were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, misleading an investigator and motor vehicle offenses. Witnesses described seeing two men on a scooter fleeing the shooting scene. Police arrested the pair a short time later, after a chase:
The scooter driver — later identified as Brison — allegedly led them on a chase in which he drove at a high rate of speed through red lights and the wrong way down one-way streets.
When the scooter came to a stop, Small allegedly fled on foot while clutching his waistband. In the course of a foot chase, the officers heard the sound of a metal object striking the pavement. They apprehended Small a short distance away and recovered a handgun in his path of flight. Brison was taken into custody without incident, though he allegedly made false statements about his whereabouts earlier that evening.
Christabel Frye, a recent Emerson College graduate, was chronicling Ramirez’s efforts to turn his life around, after an arrest at age 18 sent him to prison for four years. She wrote that Ramirez worked part-time and joined Boston’s Operation Exit program to learn construction skills:
Since being released from prison, Ramirez has been working to get his life back on a positive track. He has a part-time job at Foot Locker, and has been actively interviewing for a construction position through a new program called Operation Exit that has been developed by Mayor Marty Walsh and targets “at risk players” like Ramirez. This is largely in thanks to [city outreach worker] Big Time and his bigger-than-life connections. Ramirez has plans for his future. He wants to get a car, his own apartment, and eventually go to college.
The Boston Globe said Ramirez was one week shy from completing Operation Exit and had attended Morning Star Baptist Church for the first time last Sunday:
When the congregation was asked if anyone wanted to “turn their life to Christ,” Lahens said, she looked at Ramirez. “He said, ‘Don’t look at me,’” she said.
But the woman seated behind urged Ramirez to go to the altar.
“She said, ‘Come on, son. Come on up there. Come on, son,’” Lahens said. “And she didn’t quit.”
Lahens said Ramirez then went up on the altar and said prayers. Everyone in the church called out his name, Raheem.
“He became a member of that church Sunday,” Lahens said. “He got saved.”
Boston Police Department press release:
At about 11:08 PM on Thursday July 2, 2015, officers assigned to District B-2 (Roxbury) responded to a radio call for shots fired in the area of 21 Greenville Street. On arrival, officers discovered two male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported by EMS to local hospitals. One victim, identified as Raheem Ramirez, 22, of Boston, was later pronounced dead the other suffered non-life threatening injuries. Officers received information at the scene that two male suspects on a motor scooter were observed leaving the area immediately after the incident.
At about 11:15 PM, officers assigned to the Youth Violence Strike Force observed two males matching the given description riding on a scooter in the area of Dudley and Shirley Streets. After a brief pursuit, officers were able to take both suspects, later identified as Elijah Small, 19, of Norwood and Lamar Brison, 24, of Dorchester, into custody. Officers also recovered a firearm during the foot chase. It is not known at this time if both suspects were directly involved in the shooting on Greenville Street.
Both men are scheduled to appear in Roxbury District Court. Small is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card and Carrying a Loaded Firearm. Brison who was operating the motor scooter, is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card, Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Witness Interference, Obstruction of Justice, Refusal to Submit, Operating to Endanger and Operating with a Suspended License.
The Boston Police Homicide Unit continues to actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Boston Police Homicide Detectives directly at (617) 343-4470.
Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.
Suffolk County DA press release:
BOSTON, July 3, 2015—Two men were held on high bail at their arraignments following arrests in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Raheem Ramirez in Roxbury last night, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
LAMAR BRISON (D.O.B. 10/8/90) and ELIJAH SMALL (D.O.B. 10/29/95), both of Dorchester, were arraigned in Roxbury Municipal Court today on charges of unlawfully carrying a firearm. Bryson was additionally charged with misleading an investigator and motor vehicle offenses.
At the request of Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins, Judge Kenneth Fiandaca ordered both men held on $100,000 cash bail. Small’s bail on an open assault case was revoked, and Brison was held on a warrant charging him with violating his probation following his release from a three-year prison sentence on a 2012 gun case.
Boston Police responding to a report of gunfire on Greenville Street just after 11:00 p.m. found Ramirez, 22, and another man, 24, suffering from gunshot injuries. Ramirez was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries; the second victim is expected to survive.
Witnesses in the area provided officers with a description of two men riding a scooter. A short time later, officers observed a pair matching that description and attempted to stop them. The scooter driver – later identified as Brison – allegedly led them on a chase in which he drove at a high rate of speed through red lights and the wrong way down one-way streets.
When the scooter came to a stop, Small allegedly fled on foot while clutching his waistband. In the course of a foot chase, the officers heard the sound of a metal object striking the pavement. They apprehended Small a short distance away and recovered a handgun in his path of flight. Brison was taken into custody without incident, though he allegedly made false statements about his whereabouts earlier that evening.
The investigation into Raheem’s fatal shooting remains very active today, with police and prosecutors urging anyone with information to share it with homicide detectives at 617-343-4700.
Brison was represented by attorney Richard Doyle and Small by attorney Yolanda Acevedo. Both men are scheduled to appear in the Suffolk County Gun Court on July 31.
