Following a ShotSpotter activation on Wednesday night, Springfield Police, along with the Massachusetts State Police, have arrested three individuals and confiscated a loaded firearm. The ShotSpotter system, responding to gunshots, brought officers to the 0-100 block of Tyler Street at about 9:30 p.m. where they discovered evidence of a shooting and damage to the exterior of a nearby home, as reported by the Springfield Police Department.
Shortly after the detection of the gunfire, a vehicle believed to be connected to the incident was spotted driving on Main Street near the Chicopee line. Police stopped the car on Center Street close to Plainfield Street. Found with crack-cocaine on his lap and additional amounts of the drug in a bag, Germaine Wray and the other occupants were detained during the traffic stop. During the search, officers also discovered a loaded firearm contained within the vehicle.
The three individuals apprehended were Jessica Alvarez, David Coleman, and Germaine Wray. All face multiple charges including firearm possession without a license, intentional or reckless discharge of a firearm, and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number during the commission of a felony. Springfield Police's statement indicated Wray had prior violent and drug crime convictions, whereas Coleman is additionally charged with a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
47-year-old Wray, who has no fixed address, faces additional charges including firearm violation with three prior violent or drug crimes, as well as threats to commit a crime and possession of a class B drug - subsequent offense. Along with similar firearm-related charges, 47-year-old Alvarez of Pittsfield, was found to have had previous violent or drug crimes. Finally, 27-year-old Coleman, a resident of Chicopee, is also facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and malicious destruction of property, rounding out a list of serious allegations stemming from the evening's events.
