A 20-year-old Lowell man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old in the same city, authorities reported. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon announced that Bravindah Mawanda is facing charges for the death of Nikhl Israni.
Lowell Police were called to the scene near Middlesex and Maude Streets on the evening before the announcement, at approximately 7:52 p.m., where they discovered Israni with gunshot wounds. Despite rapid transport to Lowell General Hospital, Israni was pronounced dead soon after. The investigation, led by Lowell Police and Massachusetts State Police detectives attached to the District Attorney's Office, highlighted a grim sequence of events where Mawanda reportedly shot Israni multiple times in the latter's vehicle before fleeing to his nearby home.
Evidence collected by police tied Mawanda to the crime, including a firearm found at his residence, which was "consistent with the victim’s wounds," according to a statement from the Middlesex District Attorney's Office. Following the grim discovery, Mawanda was set to be arraigned in Lowell District Court. The case, which continues to unfold and draw the close attention of local residents, is guided by prosecutors Christopher Tarrant and Jake McCrindle.
