APD mobile command center on scene Southpoint Apartments
UPDATE Sunday 12:45 PM from District Attorney
Jose M. "Joselito" Rodriguez, 31, has been identified as the deceased in Friday night's shooting at the Southpoint Apartments, 266 East Hadley Road in Amherst.
A 28-year-old man who also sustained multiple gunshot wounds remains at UMass Memorial Medical Center of Worcester.
No arrests have been made.
The incident remains under investigation by Amherst Police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and MSP Crime Scene Services.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Amherst Police Department at (413) 259-3015, or to text a tip to the anonymous tip line at 274637.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
Jose Rodriguez (father of three)
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The DA's office just confirmed the somewhat stunning news that a local apartment complex in South Amherst became the gunfight at OK corral, although this appeared to be more one sided.
I'm told the scene was chaotic when first responders arrived on the scene a little after midnight. One victim was beyond help and the other was also shot numerous times and was initially transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
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One man is dead and another hospitalized at UMass Medical Center in Worcester after a shooting at the Southpoint Apartments in Amherst Friday night.
Police believe this was not a random act,and that members of the public are not at risk.
Amherst Police, Massachusetts State Police attached to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and MSP Crime Scene Services are investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Amherst Police Department at (413) 259-3015, or to text a tip to the anonymous tip line at 274637.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
Mary Carey
Communications Director- Northwestern District Attorney's Office
Mary.Carey@state.ma.us/(413)-588-4274 (cell)
NorthwesternDA.org
Wild Wild West-Then it was alcohol booze and guns-now it's guns-drugs-pot and booze !!
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteBaystate & UMMC are the regional trauma centers. Baystate's closer by road, UMMC by air as MedFlight is (or was) authorized to go straight across the Quabbin. I can see a lot of confusion and a last minute decision for UMMC because an aircraft became available. It's also possible Baystate diverted, ERs routinely do that, I don't know if a trauma center is allowed to.
However, transferring someone with multiple GSW from Baystate to UMMC?!?
From one trauma center to another? the only reason I can think of is security -- it not being safe to have that person in Springfield and hence wanting him/her/it in Worcester If your sure the victim was in both hospitals, I'd ask why.
You clearly know nothing about hospitals, protocols, or trauma centers. Diversion hasn't been allowed by hospitals in MA for years. Patients are transferred from one Hospital to another day in and day out for specialized care. Some hospitals deal better with burns, while others focus on other injuries, yet they can all still be trauma centers.
DeleteFYI, UMass Worcester is not a viable Truman Center for Amherst by ground. LifeFlight can, and will, transport to wherever is appropriate.
Stop acting like you always know what the %&$@ you're talking about, because you don't.
OK, I am going to say this: I'm surprised this hasn't happened before now.
ReplyDeleteNotwithstanding all the complaints about the UMass students, the real crime problem is down there, and not just in "Gunpoint" (i.e. Southpoint). I've seen the assassination gang graffiti, I've seen the bullet holes in walls -- IMHO, those apartment complexes are more dangerous than any part of Boston.
Southpoint was (and I believe still is) "owned" by MS-13. (Boulders was Latin Kings, Mill Valley was La Familia out of Chicopee). The drug trade was (I presume still is) quite lucrative.
I would be very surprised if this wasn't drug related.
The question I have is if it was a couple UM students who decided to go into business for themselves, or some other competitor. I'm wondering if it was a "home invasion."
Beyond that, I'm not going to speculate...
Yea, Ed, I think you've speculated enough.
DeleteEd may be a blowhard, but if you believe that there isn't gang activity in Amherst...and Northampton for that matter....then I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
DeleteI got some water front property...
DeleteAmherst is becoming the hell hole it has always longed to be!
ReplyDeleteAmherst raised, employed (UMass Dining Services) Father to three little ones (5, 3 and an infant)
ReplyDeleteWhat was going on?
"Police believe this was not a random act" probably doesn't make Amherst residents feel any safer. Whether or not witnesses and the other victim (if they survive) cooperate with investigators will tell a lot about the shooting.
ReplyDeleteThe local anti-gun activists are too busy having orgasms to comment right now.
ReplyDeleteThat gangs run the apartment complexes in Amherst is ridiculous. Yes there is criminal activity but definitely not ms13 or whatever other Latino gang you can think of at the moment.
ReplyDeleteIt was Cambodians shooting Puerto Ricans. Not sure the details yet. But it sounds like it was over money.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't cambodians against PR Chan and joselito are friends. The suspect is white and whacked our drugs,and had two ppl with him.
DeleteNone of you have any idea what your talking about. This was a simple fist fight gone wrong. It was not Cambodian vs Puerto Rican's or gang related. Stop assuming you know what is going on. My goodness. Unless you're passing on condolences maybe you should keep comment to your self. You do relaized the victims wofe can read these!!! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteWhatever. Won't be coming down for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteWell I am glad this ms staples woman has cleared it all Up! Just a simple fist fight....and Shooting! Cookout gone Wrong? I am just assuming.
ReplyDeleteThe spin is already starting, "nothing to see here folks", etc.
ReplyDeleteFact: If LK is right about a Baystate to UM Med transfer in the initial hours of treatment, that is something that would only be done due to medical necessity.
Fact: I merely merely speculated the possibility of a Trauma Center diversion as an alternate explanation to LK's reporting, and qulified that by amending that I didn't know this was permitted (which it isn't). Fine, I did't know MassDPH had outright banned non-Code Black Diversion (which is a good thing) in 2009 -- but how many prople even know what diversion even was...
Fact: Gazette reports body of deceased victim is at Holyoke Behavioral Health and not at the three places I'd expect it to be -- CHD, BayState or UMMC. Unless AFD is authorized to pronounce dead (and I *think* that still requires a MD license), they have to transport. CDH is closest, the other two could be justified in wanting family to know "you did everything you possibly could" (even though you knew it'd do absolutely no good), but Holyoke??? Unless that's the regional morgue for homicide victims, which is possible, this is illogical.
MY POINT: Springfield, not Holyoke & Worcester is where one would logically expect GSW victims to wind up. I can think of one possible reason why they didnt....
I believe Providence Hospital (Behavioral Health) in Holyoke is a common place for local deceased victims to end up. I believe Dr.Richmond (ME) was based there (she recently testified in the Rintala case, if you followed that).
DeleteEd,
DeleteYou are correct. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, only a licenced physician can pronounce a person dead. However EMS providers are able, within strict guidelines, to determine that a patient is "not viable". In these cases no attempt at resuscitation is made and the patient is not transported. In the case of a crime scene, the body is left in place until investigators have processed the scene. Generally in these cases the Medical Examiner's office will remove the body. I beleive there is a satellite Medical Examiner's office at Providence Hospital as I see thier vehicles there on a regular basis. I hope this clears things up for you.
This was a simple fist fight gone wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat's offensive on multiple levels, starting with the presumption that "simple fistfights" are acceptable. They're not which is why we have laws against them.
Or are you expressing a racist/sexist/classist view that "they" 9whom you consider inferior to you) can't help but be involved in fistfights because they are somehow less human than you? Do you take a similar nonchalant view toward domestic violence?
It was not Cambodian vs Puerto Rican's or gang related.
And the 1986 UMass World Series riot was over the Designated Hitter rule.
You can "Hate Whitey" all you want, but there is bigtime racism amongst the POC and it often factors into gangs. Not sure if it factored in here but -- well, I'd like to see the entirety of the tattoos on his chest/shoulders. (Note picture of him holding child.)
One man is dead, another well may be -- it's time for Amherst to admit that it has a problem with gangs, drugs, and violence. Do you have any idea how many problems in your schools this is causing?????
You do relaized the victims wofe can read these!!!
Which is why OUI was never mentioned in reporting fatal auto accidents. The guy (or gal) was dead, his family didn't need to read about how he was drunk. Maybe we're less sensitive today, maybe we seek some greater good. So too here.
Those who cry a racist, sexist, classist the most are usually racist sexist classists.
DeleteFist fights over drugs and money lead to guns and murder. UGH!!!
ReplyDeleteProvidence Hospital = OCME. Yes, AFD can declare (conclusive signs of death must be present. AFD CANNOT transport a dead body in any case). The transfer from one med center to another is not uncommon. Stabilize and transport to the specialist(s).
ReplyDeleteThe first 48 hours on this ended Sunday night, we are rapidly approaching 72, and while there may (perhaps) be a legitimate medical reason for him to be in Worcester, his identity is still a secret.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, while there possibly may have been a BOLO, there has neither been arrests nor public identification of someone whom they are trying to arrest.
72 hours is the point at which the media's attention turns to the next new thing and older stories disappear over the horizon.
"Nothing to see here folks..."
Headline in local massachusetts newspaper: "Black Lives Matter Honored at Smith College."
ReplyDeleteHonored?? For what?? The 'pigs in a blanket-fry 'em like bacon" chant? Or the "...dead cops...now" march slogan??
In fairness 8:52, if an identical shooting happened in Amherst Woods, the police would be handling it quite differently.
ReplyDeleteYes, the "boots on the ground" cops would probably be doing pretty much what they are doing now.
But what you would have seen would have been the Chief, Town Manager, possibly the DA and MSP Brass -- down there on the lawn in front of the TV cameras, very carefully saying nothing.
But doing it...
You tell us what we might possibly see. But we DID see BLM and their cop-hating marches. And they receive "Honors?"
DeleteYou are full of shit Ed. The last time there was a murder in Amherst it was a white college student from a middle class family...and the coverage was about the same. Nice try to stir the racial pot though.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that there were witnesses,and the talk around town is that everyone knows who is suspected of this shooting. What I don't get is why no one has the guts to come forward and get the scumbag off the streets. I don't understand the eye for an eye justice mentality and when it arrived in Amherst. That is the scariest part of the whole scenario for me.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it when these kind of things happen elsewhere we get good quick coverage but around here it seems information is soooo slow? I would know by now what happened if it were anywhere else in the country.
ReplyDeleteToo politically correct. Oh...someone might be offenddd if the truth is made known. Hush. Shhh. It might be a muslim. Might be a black. Possibly a woman. Maybe a gay. Oh! A latino. Or a criminal.
ReplyDeleteWe are now at Day #5 with no arrest and no update. No press conferences about how-very-concerned a lot of very-important-people are about all of this, and how really-really-hard they are working to catch the killer.
ReplyDeleteIf this had happened in Amherst Woods, involving the murder not of a UMass student but someone-who-matters, all hell would be breaking loose in Town Hall right now.
This isn't about race but social class. Some people are important and some people aren't.
whacked our drugs
ReplyDeleteIs PCP (Angel Dust) back again?
It;s the only drug that actually terrified me, I had to deal with someone on it once, and once is all I ever want to see.
Seems like a simple case of a drug deal gone wrong. Southpoint is ground zero for drug dealing in Amherst, so no surprise.
ReplyDeleteNobody wants to talk about the rampant drug trafficking and other crime at Southpoint out of fear of being called racist or classist. So instead of reporting on the facts of the crime, we get photos of flowers.
Are any drug deals that go right? Some go worse than others is about the best we can say.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, have they got the perp yet? I'm sure the poor dear was misunderstood. Let's not punidh him or her, but rather let's try to get to the bottom of WHY he or she felt the need to pull the trigger...Like good liberals must.
Now five and a half days -- a vicious murder & attempted murder, reportedly committed in front of witnesses -- and nothing from "the Brass."
ReplyDeleteIt's not the "boots on the ground" cops or if there is a legitimate reason for this case not to be cleared yet -- there well may be. My issue is with the "brass" -- the Chief, the Town Manager, the DA.
Sure, they can't really say anything, but knowing how to do that is why they get the big bucks, and they ought to get their butts out of their offices and their boots on the ground down in South Amherst. Had this happened in Amherst Woods, they would be.
I am truly sorry ed that you had to deal with your mother on PCP!
ReplyDeleteI am truly sorry ed that you had to deal with your mother on PCP!
ReplyDeleteWhiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?
It was a 17-year-old staff member at a Boy Scout Camp -- although how that is relevant to anything is beyond me.
Although you have said a lot more about your mother than you realize.