RANDOLPH — Police in Massachusetts are looking for a suspect in a fatal shooting who is considered “armed and dangerous.”
The Norfolk district attorney’s office says 32-year-old Justin Gaston is a suspect in the shooting at a Randolph home on Monday night.
Authorities say Gaston lived at the location of the apparent homicide and it is not a random slaying. The victim was identified Tuesday as 33-year-old Haki Sanders, who also lived at the address.
Authorities say Gaston is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a black 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with a Massachusetts license plate 57X610.
Anyone who spots Gaston is urged not to approach him but to contact police.
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH — A fire department is in mourning after the unexpected death of a firefighter while clearing snow.
Officials and family members say North Attleborough firefighter Chris Cornetta died Monday morning after he was stricken while using a snowblower to clear his driveway.
His daughter, Cirsten, tells The Sun-Chronicle her father was found unconscious by a plow driver at the end of the driveway.
He was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he died.
She says he was a coach for local youth sports and a New England Patriots season ticket holder.
Fire Chief Michael Brousseau says the 51-year-old Cornetta worked at the department for 29 years and “was a great firefighter and was well liked by everybody.”
In addition to his daughter, Cornetta is survived by his wife and a son.
ALFRED, Maine — The sentencing of a former Massachusetts priest for sexually assaulting an altar boy in Maine has been pushed back to allow for a mental health evaluation.
Ronald Paquin was found guilty of 11 of 24 counts of gross sexual misconduct in November. The Portland Press Herald reports lawyers for Paquin filed a motion last week to request the evaluation and a judge granted it.
A man who came forward as the victim and testified against Paquin, says the delay is a violation of his own rights. He says he feels like he’s “being victimized again” by the delay in sentencing Paquin. The 44-year-old testified the abuse began decades ago.
Officials at York County Superior Court say Paquin is due back in court on March 29 for a conference.
SPRINGFIELD — Authorities have released the name of Springfield’s latest homicide victim.
The Hampden district attorney’s office on Monday announced that 37-year-old Eric Daniels, of Springfield, was the victim of Saturday’s shooting. He was pronounced dead the scene of multiple gunshot wounds. Police responded to the scene after being alerted by the city’s gunfire detection system.
No arrests have been announced and the shooting remains under investigation by city police and state police assigned to the district attorney’s office.
BOSTON — The president of the University of Massachusetts system says administration officials plan to create an online college for adult learners.
UMass President Marty Meehan announced the plan for the still-in-development program during his third annual State of the University address Monday. Meehan says the program would help UMass against increasing financial pressures as the number of college-aged high school graduates in the northeast continues to drop.
Meehan says he will meet with senior officials and faculty on all five of the university’s campuses to plan the college in the coming year. He says UMass does not yet have a projected budget for the online college.
UMass Boston Faculty Staff Union President Marlene Kim says professors want to make sure the college does not compete for adult students already on campus.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A man who was arrested for transporting child pornography to Rhode Island has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
U.S. District Attorney Aaron Weisman says 35-year-old Fetahe Makonnen, of Malden, was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to transporting, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Rhode Island State Police arrested Makonnen in October 2017 after he unknowingly spoke with an undercover detective about the pornography.
Police recovered two thumb drives containing about 1,300 images and videos of children during his arrest.
A judge has ordered Makonnen to serve 10 years of supervised release after his prison term.
LAWRENCE — A police officer charged with raping a 13-year-old boy who was initially denied bail has had bail set at $75,000.
A judge on Tuesday said Lawrence Officer Carlos Vieira can be freed on bail under certain conditions, but he must first account for one of 20 firearms he owns that remains missing. The rest have been confiscated by investigators.
The 49-year-old Vieira is charged with aggravated rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14 for his alleged encounter last summer with a boy me met on an online dating app.
He pleaded not guilty and his lawyer calls it a case of mistaken identity.
From Associated Press