Encore Boston Harbor Garage Attempted Murder Leads to Arrest

Posted on: December 8, 2021, 07:07h. 

Last updated on: December 9, 2021, 09:09h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 33-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly shooting at several men last week in the Encore Boston Harbor casino parking garage. Based on initial crime scene evidence, it appears no one was injured from the multiple rounds of gunfire.

Steven Gonzalez, whose last known address is Peabody, Mass., was charged with armed assault with intent to murder, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a firearm without a license, and unlawful possession of ammunition, the Boston Herald newspaper reported.

Following the Dec. 1 shooting, Gonzalez ran away from the garage, located in Everett, Mass. He then was given a ride by an unnamed driver.

Suspect Found in Salem, Mass.

Police continued to search for the suspect over several days. They eventually located him in an apartment in Salem, Mass., on Tuesday, where he was apprehended. Multiple police agencies assisted in the manhunt.

Gonzalez is to appear in Malden District Court, where he is to be arraigned. He also needs to enter a plea to the multiple charges.

Police said this week the investigation into the incident was continuing. It is unclear if other suspects could be arrested. The incident was believed to have started as an altercation.

Following the shooting, cops seized evidence from the casino garage. They did not detail what they recovered, according to WHDH, a local TV station.

Continuing Crime at Encore Casino

Since opening in June 2019, the Encore has been the scene of numerous crimes. In January 2020, four Massachusetts residents were indicted in connection with an October 2020 violent assault at the Encore Boston Harbor. One was a casino employee.

The victim was allegedly kicked and stomped in the head and torso by two of the suspects while the indicted trio was in an elevator of the gaming property.

Nationally, parking garages and lots at gaming properties were frequently the locations of violent crimes in the past several months, according to a report from Casino.org.

For instance, in February, two men needed hospitalization after getting stabbed several times in a parking garage at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev.

In October 2020 Palm Springs, Calif. police officers shot two robbery suspects as they tried to speed away from a parking garage at Agua Caliente Casino. One had just allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint.