MANCHESTER, NH – A love triangle could be at the heart of a shooting in March in which a 23-year-old man was shot four times at his home on Chestnut Street.
Accused shooter Eduardo Vazquez, 19, of 91 Foster St., Lawrence, Mass., pleaded not guilty Friday in Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District to attempted first-degree murder and two counts of reckless conduct.
Police say the wounded man, identified only as “R.R.”, 23, in court documents, is the current boyfriend of Jessiris Bermudez, 18, Vazquez’ ex-girlfriend.
Although he was shot four times, “R.R.” drove himself to the Elliot Hospital where he was treated for gunshot wounds to the chest, shoulder and lower back, according to court documents.
After the shooting, investigators said Vazquez fled to Puerto Rico where he was located by U.S. Marshals and returned to Manchester.
“R.R.” was shot about 4:40 a.m. on March 27, 2022, as he was heading into his residence at 135 Chestnut St. Bermudez was with him.
Police said Vazquez and another individual hid outside in a dark alcove waiting for “R.R.” to return home.
“Vazquez then lays in wait in the darkness for R.R. to enter the building and walk by a well-lit interior stairway window where he took a shooter’s stance in the darkened alley and waited for Bermudez to pass by the window before he fired numerous (10) rounds from a firearm through the walls and the window, striking R.R. four times.,” Detective Shaun McKennedy wrote in an affidavit in support of a warrant for Vazquez’ arrest.
Police recovered 10 spent 9mm bullet casings at the scene.
Bermudez told McKennedy “R.R.” picked her up at 184 Cedar St. about 4:30 that morning and they drove directly to his Chestnut Street apartment. While walking up the interior common stairway of the building to get to his third-floor apartment, Bermudez said she heard multiple gunshots from a close distance outside.
The shots, she said, came from the alleyway directly outside 135 Chestnut St., through a window in the stairway on the second floor. She ducked for cover and turned to see that “R.R.” had been shot several times in the arm and chest.
She said “R.R.” immediately began heading back outside and said they needed to get to the hospital. She tried to convince him to let her drive, but he would not allow it. At one point, he collapsed in the road, but he was able to get up, start the car and drive to the Elliot Hospital where he was brought into the emergency room.
At the hospital, Bermudez told officers she was getting texts and calls from family members regarding a second shooting at 178 Cedar St., Apt. 4. Her cousins live there and her father lives in Apt. 1, she said. That is the address where “R.R.” picked her up just prior to him being shot.
When McKennedy spoke about the two shootings being related, Bermudez told him about another shooting that happened on Feb. 20, 2022. She said her cousin “Charlie” had been involved in that incident.
During that investigation, Bermudez was identified as the girlfriend of the victim of that shooting – Vazquez who was shot in the leg. In talking with McKennedy, however, Bermudez made no mention of him being her boyfriend at that time.
McKennedy and Bermudez then spoke about the likelihood that the second shooting that morning was in retaliation for the first shooting in which “R.R.” was shot. He asked her if there were any ex-boyfriends or jealous parties that may have targeted “R.R.,” but, McKennedy wrote in his affidavit, that she did not provide any leads in response to that question.
McKennedy, however, said he came to the realization that Vazquez was shot on Feb. 20, 2022, when at that time Bermudez identified herself as his girlfriend. About a month later, “R.R.” is shot at which point Bermudez says she is his girlfriend of about four months.
The morning “R.R.” was shot, an officer spoke to Vazquez who said he was hanging out at 184 Cedar St., Apt. 1, his “father-in-law’s” house before heading to apartment 4 to sleep for the night.
“It is clear that Vazquez still identifies Bermudez’s father as his “father-in-law,” as the apartment is Bermudez’ father’s, McKennedy wrote.
Police, in court documents, said Bermudez was not forthcoming with information concerning the shootings. McKennedy said she spoke of her cousin’s involvement in the February shooting and him being at her father’s apartment on the morning of the March shooting but made no mention of Vazquez also being present with Charlie for both instances.
“In fact, when asked specifically about boyfriends or jealous parties who could target R.R., she adamantly denied knowing of any potential suspect though it is clear that she is likely in some sort of a relationship with both Vazquez and R.R. at the same time. It is unclear if both R.R. and Vazquez are aware of her relationship status with both males,’ McKennedy wrote.
