In the early morning hours of July 11, 2016, a party on Kingsley Terrace in Lynn, Massachusetts, took a fatal turn, ending the life of 24-year-old Philip Russo. The male victim had been hosting the gathering in his apartment when a verbal argument erupted between him and another man, Edwin Flores. The disagreement escalated and spilled outside, turning into a physical fight before Russo retreated into his apartment.
Witnesses reported hearing Flores on the phone, telling his friend,
Michael Tate, to bring a gun. Tate arrived at the party armed, and as Russo ran out into the street, Tate pursued him on foot with Flores following behind. Tate fired a single shot, which proved to be fatal for Russo. Just before 6 a.m., Russo collapsed near an MBTA bus on Chestnut Street near Mason Street. He was rushed to Lynn Union Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation that followed led to the arrests of two suspects. Michael Tate, then 28, was arrested and charged with the murder. Shortly after, Edwin Flores, then 24, was also apprehended and charged with murder. Though the act was not considered random, the community was left shaken by the violence. Investigators cordoned off the entrance to a home on Kingsley Terrace where the door was stained with blood, a grim reminder of the preceding altercation.
In February 2022, both men pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Salem Superior Court. Michael Tate was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years. Edwin Flores also received a life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
