A hail of bullets shattered the peace of a Manchester neighborhood and left one woman with a bullet wound, triggering an arrest that has gripped the local community. Johaly Maria, a 22-year-old resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, has been charged with a slew of felonies in connection with a drive-by shooting yesterday afternoon, authorities announced.
Manchester police were called to the scene at the corner of Nashua and Maple streets at around 1:30 p.m. upon receiving reports of gunfire, according to WHDH. Witnesses recounted the shocking sight of two men exiting a black vehicle, with at least one of them spraying bullets towards a building before fleeing the subsequent chaos they had created.
The gunfire resulted in a woman suffering a non-lethal gunshot wound to her arm and led to property damage as the building bore the brunt of several shots, police said. In a statement reported by the Boston Globe, multiple shell casings were found at the scene, highlighting the severity of the incident.
Following an investigation punctuated by the sound of gunfire, Maria was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, reckless conduct, and illegal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. The area, known more for its small-town calm than for violent outbursts, has been left rattled by the daytime shooting.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the Manchester Police Department at 603-668-8711, as the community seeks to stitch together the narrative of this harrowing and senseless act of violence.
