Two more individuals were brought before the court yesterday in relation to a drive-by shooting that rocked the city of Lynn last year. According to the Essex County District Attorney's office, Abel Severino Reyes, 21, and Carlos Ramirez Corniel, 16, faced arraignment on charges stemming from the September 2, 2023 incident on Essex Street, which claimed the lives of 21-year-old Jandriel Heredia of Revere and 25-year-old Abraham Diaz of Lynn and left five others injured.

Reyes is looking at two counts of murder, four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. His co-defendant, Corniel, is facing two counts of murder. During the proceeding, both defendants declared themselves not guilty on all charges. The Hon. Thomas Drechsler ordered that both suspects be held without bail. Reyes had attorney Vivianne Jeruchim for defense, while Corniel was defended by attorney Amy Sixt. They are scheduled to return to the court on January 27, 2025.

This is not the first step in seeking justice for this violent outburst. The arraignment of Reyes and Corniel follows the previous court appearances of Leonardo Espinoza, 15, Darwin Batista, 20, from Lynn, and Justin Alba, 25, of Peabody. According to the details of the case, Alba and Batista are battling similar charges as Reyes, having both been slapped with two counts of murder among other assault charges. Espinoza faces two counts of murder just as his alleged accomplices.

The investigations leading to the arrests and subsequent arraignments were a joint effort. The Lynn Police Department worked in tandem with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Office of Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and the MSP Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section. As the legal process grinds on, it is important to remember that in the eyes of the law, all suspects and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.