Gang-Feud Shootings Lead to Heath St. Arrest

Two gang-related shootings resulted in the arrest of a Braintree man at the Bromley-Health Housing Development last week.

Paul Warlond, 22, was charged Monday in Roxbury District Court with two counts each of armed assault with intent to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building for incidents on March 7 and 8, according to a statement from the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley.

Walrond is accused of shooting at – but not hitting – an 18-year-old male on Holworthy Street just after 7:00 on the evening of March 7. He is also accused of shooting a second victim, this one a 22-year-old male, on the same street shortly before 8:00 p.m. the next evening. That second victim was transported to Boston Medical Center and is expected to survive his injuries, the statement said.

Police responded to Holworthy Street in Roxbury on a call of shots fired March 7. A resident told police he was shot at but was not hit. The following night, police responded to the same street for another shooting, this time a victim was hit, the statement said.

Dispatchers learned that a Cadillac was seen leaving the area on the second night. With this detail and some prior knowledge, police were able to track and arrest Walrond.

“Knowing that the H-Block street gang active in the Holworth Street area was engaged in a longstanding feud with rivals from Heath Street, officers in the area of the Bromley Heath Housing Development began looking for vehicles matching that description,” the statement said.

Boston Police patrolling the area soon spotted Walrond operating a black 2000 Cadillac Catera and turning toward them from Heath Street onto Parker Street, according to the statement. On encountering the officers’ cruiser, the Cadillac reversed direction and drove into a parking lot behind a Parker Street address, where it stopped and Walrond exited.

Walrond began walking away from the Cadillac, leaving its front windows down. Officers attempted to engage him in conversation, but to no avail: he allegedly ignored them until officers physically guided him toward their cruisers to detain him. Additional officers responded to the Parker Street area and immediately spotted a handgun on the floor by the back seat. At that point, Walrond was placed under arrest. Walrond later admitted to the shootings, the statement said.

“This arrest was the direct result of Boston Police officers who knew their city,” Conley said in the statement. “They weren’t at the scene of the shooting, but they knew where the assailant was likely to turn up. They kept their eyes and ears open and made our streets safer as a result.”