3 charged in shooting near Lawrence High School that injured 3 minors

Three people under the age of 20 have been charged in connection with a late-August shooting near Lawrence High School that injured three minors, authorities said Thursday. 

Jesus Emmanuel Garcia Acosta, 19, of Lawrence, was indicted in Essex County Superior Court. A 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, both from Lawrence, were also charged in Lawrence Juvenile Court, District Attorney Paul F. Tucker’s office said in a press release. 

All three are charged with three counts each of armed assault with intent to murder and three counts each of assault and battery with a firearm causing serious bodily injury. They all also face one count each of carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm without a license, Tucker’s office said. 

The charges stem from an Aug. 31 shooting on East Dalton Street near Lawrence High School. Officers responded around 3 p.m., during school dismissal, and located three injured teens at the scene, which was near but not on school property.  

The victims are still recovering from the injuries they sustained in the shooting, the Lawrence Police Department said on Facebook. 

One of the victims, 13-year-old Deandres, was shot in the face while walking home from school, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his mother. Deandres suffered a broken jaw and a serious internal injury that caused significant blood loss, per the campaign. 

“He was a bystander and was not involved in what happened,” the GoFundMe states. “He was just a 13-year-old on his way home when everything changed.” 

The fundraiser is seeking money for Deandres’ ongoing medical appointments and other expenses that come with recovery, the campaign says. 

Garcia Acosta and the two juveniles have pleaded not guilty and were ordered held without bail pending dangerousness hearings, the DA’s office said. 

The two minors are scheduled for dangerousness hearings Sept. 29, while Garcia Acosta’s hearing is expected Oct. 1, prosecutors said. 

An attorney for Garcia Acosta declined to comment Thursday afternoon. Attorney information for the two juveniles was not immediately available. 

The shooting remains under investigation by Lawrence police and Massachusetts State Police, Tucker’s office said. 

“Investigators utilized extensive investigative resources, technology, and available tools to identify those responsible and advance the case to this point,” police said. “The collaborative efforts of the agencies involved were instrumental in bringing this investigation to a safe and decisive conclusion.”