A man has been arrested after two people were killed and two others were hospitalized Saturday in a shooting at a child’s birthday party at Saint John the Baptist Club on Silva Street.
Nicholas Meuse, 23, was arrested shortly after fleeing the scene on Saturday night, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.
Police charged Meuse with two counts of murder and armed assault with intent to murder. He also faces multiple gun charges.
Benjamin Cowart, 27, was pronounced dead on the scene. Jalen Pina, 20, was brought to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead, according to Cruz.
A 28-year-old man was flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital and a 32-year-old man was transported to a nearby hospital, where they remain in critical condition, according to Carver Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The extent of their injuries and their identities are not known at this time.
The shooting was reported just after 7 p.m. on Saturday night, drawing law enforcement and helicopters to Silva Street, which was closed while police responded.
Cruz said that this was not a random act and that the victims and suspect were likely known to each other.
“The people here in the town of Carver should feel safe,” Cruz said. “There’s no ongoing threat.”
Carver Police Chief Marc Duphily called the incident “heartbreaking.”
“I know this incident may be unsettling for our residents,” Duphily wrote in a Facebook post this morning. “I want to assure you that this was not a random act, and the responsible individual was quickly taken into custody.”
Meuse is scheduled for an arraignment in Wareham District Court. He has not yet entered a plea and is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
While Carver is a small town, this is not the only time it has seen gun violence in the last six months. In August, a woman was shot at Sampson’s Pond and brought to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
According to police, an investigation is ongoing.
Contact Nick Mossman at nick@carverjournal.com
