A road rage incident in Chicopee escalated into a shooting yesterday, leading to a flurry of criminal charges against one individual. The Chicopee Police Department reported the suspect has not been arrested on firearms charges but is facing a list of accusations after detectives found a loaded handgun and a device that can convert a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun at the suspect's residence.
The tense encounter happened around 12:42 pm at the intersection of McKinstry Ave and Grattan St. Officers dispatched to the scene quickly determined that the violence stemmed from a road rage incident, not a random act. Using city cameras, they were able to capture the license plate of the suspect's vehicle, which led Holyoke Police to the home of the vehicle's registered owner. According to the Chicopee Police Department's social media post, after being detained for questioning, it was determined the male party had two warrants for his arrest and was taken into custody by Holyoke police.
Further investigations by the detectives found the Glock handgun in the residence, complete with ammunition and a "Glock switch," an illicit mechanism that effectively turns a semi-automatic firearm into an illegally possessed machine gun. The suspect, whose name has not been disclosed pending charges, was found inside the address that was registered to the located vehicle.
The Chicopee Police Department has requested a criminal complaint through the district court that seeks to charge the suspect on multiple counts. These charges include Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Firearm within 500 Feet of a Dwelling, Assault to Murder with a Firearm Involved, Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device, Machine Gun, Loaded Machine Gun, Ammunition Without an FID Card, Malicious Damage to a Motor Vehicle, and Receiving Stolen Property over $1,200.
