HADLEY — Two young men, ages 18 and 19, suffered serious injuries in a shooting inside a bathroom at the Walmart on Route 9 Sunday night, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.
One of the teens was shot in the face and leg and the other was shot in the chest and arm, authorities said. Both were taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment, said Laurie Loisel, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office. The incident, which happened shortly after 10 p.m., Loisel said, is not believed to be random.
Two people who were arrested a short time later in connection with the shooting were arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown Monday.
Wilmer Alvarez, 26, of Chicopee, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license, and possession with intent to distribute a class A drug, heroin, and a class B drug, cocaine.
Alvarez was ordered held without bail by Judge Danielle Williams pending a dangerousness hearing Aug. 31. The hearing was requested by Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Suhl based on the injuries to the victims, who are only being identified by their ages, Loisel said.
Keyla Fernandez, 32, of Holyoke, pleaded innocent to charges of being an accessory to a crime after the fact, misleading a police officer, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license and possession with intent to distribute a class A drug, heroin, and a class B drug, cocaine. Fernandez was held on $5,000 cash bail pending a Sept. 20 pretrial conference.
Investigators allege that Alvarez shot the two victims inside the bathroom before leaving in a motor vehicle in which Fernandez was a passenger, based on information from witnesses and surveillance video, Loisel said.
Authorities did not identify the weapon used in the shooting.
After the incident, witnesses quickly called 911 and provided a detailed description of the vehicle to police. Shortly after, Hadley Police Officers Rylan Baronas, Jacob Laughlin and Jacob Marini stopped the vehicle on Route 9 and detained Alvarez and Fernandez. Police recovered a loaded firearm and drugs packaged for distribution on the side of the road near where the vehicle was stopped, they said.
Alvarez was represented by defense attorney Alan Rubin of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, while Fernandez is being represented by attorney John Drake.
Mutual aid was provided by Amherst police, State Police and University of Massachusetts police. Walmart and portions of Route 9 were secured by officers, and Route 9 between East Street and Mill Valley Road was closed for nearly two hours.
In addition to Hadley police, State Police detectives from the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, as well as State Police Crime Scene Services Section, are investigating.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.