Three men have been arrested and charged with attempted murder and conspiracy in connection with a December drive-by shooting in which shots were fired into an occupied apartment building in Jaffrey, police said Thursday.
Shayne Jennings, 38, of New Ipswich; John Pereira, 21, of Exeter; and Nathan Pereira, 19, of Rindge were each arrested separately and without incident, according to police.
The charges stem from a Dec. 17 incident shortly after 5:53 p.m., when police responded to multiple reports of gunshots in the area of Cross Street and Nutting Road.
Police determined that several shots were fired from a moving vehicle as it passed 3 Cross St., a multi-family apartment building. Several shots struck the building, and some penetrated into an occupied apartment. No injuries were reported.
According to an affidavit filed in 8th Circuit Court, Jaffrey, by Jaffrey Police Officer Joseph Hileman, officers recovered 11 shell casings from the ground and documented 11 bullet holes in the building, all concentrated near a single apartment.
Police spoke with two residents of that apartment. One resident had been standing on the porch when the shots were fired, and the rounds impacted or passed near where they had been standing, according to the affidavit. The second resident was asleep inside the apartment, and one round entered the bedroom and struck the window frame above where they were sleeping, according to the affidavit.
Cross Street was closed for approximately two hours while police checked on residents, collected evidence, and canvassed the area for witnesses.
According to a police press release, the investigation led to the identification of a suspect vehicle and the three suspects. Witnesses reported that shots were fired from a silver vehicle with dark-tinted windows and no visible license plate, according to the affidavit.
Police reviewed street camera footage from Jaffrey’s Main Street and identified a silver Toyota Camry with dark-tinted windows and no displayed license plate parked in front of the Golden Wok restaurant at about 5:45 p.m., shortly before the shooting.
The affidavit states that two men exited the vehicle — one from the driver’s seat and the other from the rear driver’s-side seat — and entered the restaurant, while a third man stayed in the vehicle. The passenger purchased food, and the driver walked through the restaurant and exited the rear of the building. The two then returned to the vehicle and drove along Main Street and onto North Street at approximately 5:49 p.m., placing the vehicle near the scene during the shooting.
A receipt from the restaurant identified one of the men as Nathan Pereira. Another man was identified as his brother, John Pereira.
According to the affidavit, when contacted, Nathan Pereira initially denied being in Jaffrey or with his brother on Dec. 17, but later admitted involvement in the incident. He allegedly told police that John Pereira was driving the vehicle.
Nathan Pereira told police the intended target of the shooting was a man who was having an affair with his mother, and that the shooting was intended as a way of “letting off stress,” according to the affidavit. The alleged target of the shooting was not present when the shots were fired.
In an interview with police, the alleged target of the shooting identified John Pereira as someone who might want to harm him, based on a previous interaction in which John Pereira allegedly warned him that he would be harmed if they encountered each other in the street.
Nathan Pereira told police that Jennings possessed the firearm and fired the shots, according to the affidavit.
On Jan. 9, police obtained a search warrant and searched John Pereira’s vehicle, where they allegedly found evidence consistent with possible gunshot residue on the front passenger seat.
In addition to the attempted murder and conspiracy charges, which have been filed with the Cheshire Superior Court in Keene, all three have also been charged with other lesser offenses.
Jennings was charged with felonious use of a firearm, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon (firearm) for allegedly discharging a firearm into an occupied multi-family dwelling. He was arraigned at the 8th Circuit Court on Friday, Jan. 23, and entered no plea on the charges.
John Pereira was charged with witness tampering, for allegedly threatening Nathan Pereira with violence if he spoke to police, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and two counts of criminal threatening with a deadly weapon for allegedly aiding Jennings by driving the vehicle. He was arraigned on Jan. 22, and entered not guilty pleas.
For Nathan Pereira, the court did not pursue initial charges of attempted second-degree murder and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon. He entered no plea to a conspiracy charge, alleging he agreed to participate in the drive-by shooting of the occupied apartment building.
Police were assisted by the New Ipswich Police Department, the Exeter Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. All three men are being held at the Cheshire County House of Corrections. The investigation remains ongoing.
Editor’s note: this story has been updated to include information obtained from affidavits filed in 8th Circuit Court, Jaffrey.