Gunfire on a busy street corner in broad daylight might sound like the script of a crime drama but for the residents near 532 High St., it was an all-too-real occurrence this past Tuesday. ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection system, alerted authorities to the sound of gunfire at approximately 1:47 PM, when a green Buick pulled into an alley and a passenger opened fire, with two out of five bullets hitting the City Hall Annex building, as reported on the Facebook page of the local police department.
The swift alert from ShotSpotter enabled officers to promptly respond to the incident and secure the scene, their investigation led them to Chicopee where they nabbed the suspect, one Hector Rivera; Rivera was arrested with a haul of evidence that included narcotics ready for distribution and a 9mm Beretta, he was not licensed to carry a firearm and was also in possession of sizable cash and ammunition, this was outlined on the department's Facebook page.
Rivera is now facing a slew of charges that paint a troubling picture of the criminal undercurrents that sometimes flow unseen beneath the city's streets: possession and distribution of narcotics, both Class A and Class B, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a firearm in the commission of a felony, and several other firearm related charges, not to mention the malicious destruction of property, the list is long and serious, reflective of a heavy hand the law places on acts that rupture the peace of our public spaces.
The investigation continues as there remains an accomplice at large; however, the arrest of Rivera and the seizure of drugs and weapons may signify a minor victory in the ongoing battle against crime that tugs at the edges of our civic life, the authorities have made clear their dedication to tracking down all involved, ensuring that aggressions such as these find no safe harbor in the alleys or avenues of our city.
