In the early evening of December 26, 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the air on Quincy Terrace in Lynn, Massachusetts, leaving a scene of chaos and violence. Amid the confusion, it was discovered that six individuals had been struck by bullets. Emergency services were called to the scene around 5:30 p.m. and the wounded were quickly transported to local hospitals for treatment. Among the victims was 31-year-old Gustavo Santana, a Black / African American male from Lynn.
Later that evening, Santana succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The shooting reportedly took place during the filming of a music video.
The investigation that followed the shooting was a collaborative effort involving the Lynn Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and the Essex County District Attorney's office. Witnesses described hearing a rapid succession of shots, leading them to believe that a semi-automatic or automatic weapon was used in the attack. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, no arrests were made as authorities worked to piece together the events that led to the deadly shooting. The five other victims were reported to be alive as of the following Monday morning, though at least two had sustained life-threatening injuries.
In September 2021, a significant development was made in the case when a grand jury indicted 22-year-old Darwin Mejia, also of Lynn, on a murder charge in connection with the shooting spree. In addition to the murder charge for the death of Gustavo Santana, Mejia faced a litany of other charges, including five counts of armed assault with intent to murder, five counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of a large-capacity feeding device. Following the indictment, Mejia was held without bail awaiting his arraignment in Salem Superior Court.
