Framingham police say a July 4 report of gunfire has now produced two arrests, with investigators recovering an illegally possessed AK-style rifle, six large-capacity magazines and ammunition. The case stretches from Framingham to Marlborough and Worcester as detectives work through a weapons investigation announced Thursday.
Search Warrants Follow July 4 Report Near Beaver Park Road
In a press release via Framingham Police Department, police identified the suspects as Christian Cruz, 33, of Marlborough, and Juan Leiva, 19, of Worcester. The original report of shots fired came July 4 in the area of Beaver Park Road in Framingham, after which investigators executed multiple search warrants as part of the ongoing investigation.
The evidence listed by police turns what began as a holiday shots-fired call into a broader illegal-firearms case. Investigators also credited assistance from the MetroWest Drug Task Force, Worcester police, Marlborough police, Massachusetts State Police and specialized regional units.
Charges Include Unlicensed Carrying And Large-Capacity Firearm Allegations
Police say Leiva was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. Cruz faces those same allegations, along with charges involving possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card and possession of a large-capacity firearm, according to the department's release.
Those are allegations, not convictions, and the case will now move through the Massachusetts court process. The state’s official firearms guidance outlines licensing and possession rules that can make unlicensed carrying, ammunition possession and large-capacity firearm allegations separate criminal matters.
Framingham Has Seen Other Recent Gunfire-Linked Arrests
The arrests follow a separate May investigation in which a Westborough shots-fired call led Framingham officers to vehicles connected to the incident. Earlier coverage reported that four people were taken into custody and two firearms were recovered in that case.
Framingham police described the July 4 investigation as ongoing, leaving open the possibility of additional evidence or charges as the recovered weapons and ammunition are examined.
