On the evening of November 26, 2017, a sense of normalcy was shattered on Hillside Avenue in Lawrence, Massachusetts, by the sound of gunfire, a sound some residents initially dismissed as fireworks. Responding to reports of the commotion, police arrived to find a car that had crashed. Inside the vehicle was 25-year-old Mindy T. Tran, a female resident of Lawrence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
She was rushed to Lawrence General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
In the immediate aftermath, the investigation began to piece together the events of that fatal evening. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera suggested that the shooting was not a random act of violence, believing it to be connected to drug-related activities and noting that Tran did not reside in that particular neighborhood. For several months, the case remained without a suspect, prompting law enforcement to release surveillance footage to the public in January 2018. The video showed two individuals approaching the area where Tran was found and then fleeing the scene. The Essex State Police Detective Unit and Lawrence Police appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification of the persons in the video.
For over three years, the investigation continued, until a breakthrough was made. In August 2021, authorities announced the arrest of 18-year-old Emanuel Dysla of Lawrence, charging him with the murder of Mindy Tran. A significant detail that emerged was that Dysla was only 14 years old at the time of the killing. His arraignment was a tense affair, with a loved one of Tran being escorted out of the courtroom.
Court documents revealed the alleged motive behind the tragic event. A cooperating witness informed investigators that a well-known member of the Trinitario street gang had instructed Dysla, known as "Gordito," and a female companion to rob Tran, who was allegedly a marijuana dealer. According to the witness, the plan went awry when they discovered the passenger side door of Tran's car was locked, at which point Dysla allegedly began shooting. When questioned about his actions, Dysla reportedly stated that he was following orders. The witness who provided this information was located by state police after a fingerprint was identified on Tran's car. Following his arraignment, Emanuel Dysla was ordered to be held without bail.
