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Last Words
Boy's cell phone deflects bullet
By Boston.com
11/04/2003
A 15-year-old youth was shot outside the Back Bay T station yesterday morning but escaped more serious injury in part because a cellphone attached to his waist band deflected one of the bullets, authorities said. Police arrested a 17-year-old suspect, who had fled the scene to a nearby day-care center where he tried to ditch his jacket and a gun.
Boston police arrested Alan Lewis of South Boston on the first floor of the Ellis Memorial Day-care Center at Chandler and Berkeley streets. None of the 50 children at the center, ages 3 to 5, were near the suspect at any time, said the center's chief executive officer.
Lewis was scheduled to be arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault with intent to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, trespassing, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
Police said the victim, whose name was not released because of his age, was hospitalized. His injury, a gunshot wound above the hip, was not considered life-threatening, authorities said.
MBTA Police Chief Joseph Carter said the victim, another unidentified teenager, and the suspect were arguing on the corner of Clarendon Street and Columbus Avenue, near the T station, about 9:30 a.m. The argument escalated and Lewis pulled out a gun and shot at the two teenagers at least three times, he said.
A bullet ricocheted off a brick wall behind the boys, striking a parked car. A second struck the victim, and the third hit his cellphone, police said.
Carter said the second teenager was not injured and he and the injured youth walked into the subway station and asked the toll collector for help. Carter said T police officers, who were patrolling the station, quickly radioed a description of the suspect to Boston police.
Minutes later, an employee at the day-care center called police about a suspicious person in the building and officers soon had Lewis in custody.
Leo Delaney, the center's CEO, said the suspect walked into the first floor of the building where parents drop off their children and asked to used a telephone.
''He was just walking around looking for something,'' said Delaney. ''We noticed that he was not supposed to be there, so we called the police.''
This story ran on page B2 of the Boston Globe on 4/11/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
The full article appeared at Boston.com
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