updated
Saturday, 2:15 PM
From the Metro staff at The Boston Globe

Man arraigned in slaying of 19-year -old mom

November 17, 2008 12:14 PM Email| Comments (16)| Text size +

By Brian Ballou, Globe staff

A man who allegedly shot into a crowd gathered near Elder Street in Dorchester earlier this month, killing a 19-year-old mother, was charged earlier today with homicide and several gun violations.

Daniel Harris, of Dorchester, stood behind a door throughout his arraignment at Roxbury District Court. As Assistant District Attorney David Fredette described how Harris allegedly shot Alexandra Gomes, several members of the victim's family, seated in the front row of the courtroom, gasped and started crying. The family members later declined comment.

Fredette said Harris also hit four other people, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. An unidentified man who was standing nearby pulled out a handgun and shot back at Harris, hitting him in the hip, Fredette said. The man who apparently returned fire had a license to carry a firearm and has not been charged.

Harris has several pending cases in Dorchester and West Roxbury district courts, most of them for motor vehicle infractions, but one involving charges of assault and battery and illegal possession of a Class D substance.

Harris's mother and several other relatives attended the arraignment but declined comment as they walked out the courtroom. Harris's lawyer, Neil Tassel, said his client is in considerable pain because of the gunshot wound. "We're hoping to get him to an infirmary as soon as possible,'' Tassel said.

Fredette did not disclose a possible motive in the case. Harris is due back in court on Dec. 8 for a bail hearing.

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16 comments so far...
  1. LOCK THE DOOR AND TROW AWAY THE KEY. BUT BEFORE YOU DO, LET MS GOMES FAMILY VISIT WITH HIM.

    Posted by FRANK November 17, 08 12:35 PM
  1. Kill hi to

    Posted by BOS November 17, 08 12:39 PM
  1. It's about time this punk has been charged. The madness of being at a house party and "no ones" seeing anything will stop one day. I teach my girls, that nothing goods happens in the Hood after 1:00am. If more people stepped up and did the "right" thing. The violence would decease evening more. It's not the Police, it's the PEOPLE!! People stops violence not GUNS. It's time for a Change!! Start pointing FINGERS!!

    Posted by Hoodrat November 17, 08 12:41 PM
  1. 'Harris's lawyer, Neil Tassel, said his client is in considerable pain because of the gunshot wound. "We're hoping to get him to an infirmary as soon as possible,'' Tassel said.'
    Are you kidding me? A woman is dead because of this mans reckless actions and he is complaining he is in pain bacause of a gunshot wound?
    When he goes back to court, there better not be any bail available for this person.

    Posted by Debbie November 17, 08 01:12 PM
  1. thats crazt he deserves whatever the judge rules

    Posted by shakira November 17, 08 03:48 PM
  1. wow how tuff can someone be what courage no one deserves to go through this i hope he learn his lesson. and also all those others that think that the adviced they hear from the older people in their families is just an old folks tale.
    we know why we say it we been there and seen it all. this is getting worse.

    Posted by nina November 17, 08 08:15 PM
  1. Who cares if he is in pain, he took someones life.

    Posted by Danielle November 18, 08 09:23 AM
  1. I'm glad to see the media can finaly show the value of concealed carry permits. Menino like to impose all these crazy laws againts law abiding citizens that do nothing but give violent criminals the upper hand. Now just think of what would happen to crime stats if all the thugs knew that someone in the area can and will legally shoot back......

    Posted by Steve November 19, 08 08:48 PM
  1. I think the LTC holder probably saved other people......he shot to stop the perpetrator.

    Posted by R.Oliveira November 24, 08 12:43 PM
  1. hurray for the LTC Holder! he must not reside in Boston since they like to restrict LAWFUL gun owners to target and hunting on their gun permits

    it just goes to show you how fundamental the 2A is

    Posted by Mr. C November 24, 08 04:11 PM
  1. Thank God for the LTC holder! We need more like him. Thank you for your service to society.

    Posted by Jonathan November 24, 08 04:35 PM
  1. The LTC holder was probably from out of town because Boston does not normally issue them to the unwashed masses.

    Posted by Ofetid1 November 24, 08 05:49 PM
  1. Thank god there was a licensed gun owner there to stop this tragedy!

    Posted by biff November 25, 08 06:42 PM
  1. The police can't be everywhere. We need to be able to protect ourselves. It is our duty to make sure we can. I feel bad for the Licensed gun owner. Kind of a hard thing to deal with but he did the right thing.

    Posted by Arnie November 28, 08 09:45 PM
  1. A concealed handgun saved the day yet again! Since most citizens are not murderous ghouls, the more citizens who carry guns at all times the safer we all are in cases like this.

    When I see a bulge or open carry (in New Hampshire) I feel safer all of a sudden as if there were secret guardians everywhere.

    Posted by Thomas Addison November 30, 08 01:13 AM
  1. When I read this article in the Boston Globe, I wrote a letter to the editor, the gist of which was if a man had rescued a child from a burning building he would be hailed in a bold faced headline as a "citizen hero." But since the hero in this case (who undoubtedly saved the lives of others by returning the criminal's fire) did so through the use of a lawfully possessed handgun, reference to his action was buried in the middle of the article wtih no praise of the his heroism. Not surprisingly, the Globe didn't print the letter.

    Posted by Denis December 6, 08 09:07 PM
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