A woman faced the judge today in Lowell District Court, slapped with charges after a non-fatal shooting incident in Billerica that has left another woman grappling with life-threatening injuries. Sarah Wooten, 23, from the small town, was charged with assault and battery with a firearm, among other serious charges.
According to the report by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost, it was at Wooten’s Buckingham Drive home on Saturday where the terrifying events unfolded. Handling a shotgun that her boyfriend legally owned, Wooten allegedly fired the round that struck the 24-year-old victim in the face. The District Attorney’s Office states that the gun was legally owned by her boyfriend.
First responders arrived at the scene following an emergency call and found the victim in serious condition. She was urgently rushed to a nearby hospital, with details of her identity not released to the public yet. The tie between Wooten and the victim, described only as acquaintances known to each other, remains part of an "ongoing investigation" being spearheaded by local and state police units in collaboration with the District Attorney's Office.
The court set Wooten's bail at $15,000 during her arraignment and delivered a stern order: she is not to possess any weapons. It's a story of violence that once again throws the spotlight on the ownership and handling of guns in our homes—a spotlight that, in such tragic circumstances, seems to show no mercy in laying bare the potentially fatal consequences of negligence.
With her trial still ahead on July 10, 2024, Wooten faces the legal consequences of her actions. You can find more details on the Middlesex District Attorney's Office website via this link, as the community of Billerica tries to come to terms with the shocking violence that has shaken its sense of security.
