Haverhill Police Friday arrested a 23-year-old known gang member they say is allegedly responsible for the Wednesday afternoon shooting in the city’s Mount Washington neighborhood.
Mario Acosta was taken into custody Friday morning without incident on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, possession of a loaded firearm without a license and other charges including motor vehicle violations. He is expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon in Haverhill District Court.
Acosta stands accused of firing “multiple shots” in the area of 294 Washington St. just before 4 p.m. Oct. 30. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Acosta, tangled up in the city’s so-called “gang war” dating back to 2016’s Swasey Field shooting, is no stranger to Haverhill Police. As WHAV has long reported, Nike Colon’s May 17, 2018 murder and the arrest of his accused killer Eddy Almonte, ties together a series of events and retaliations seemingly kicked off by the May 2016 shooting at Swasey Field.
Two people survived gunshot wounds during a gang-involved shooting at Swasey in May 2016, while no injuries were reported after shots were fired by rival gang members in a retaliatory Temple Street strike weeks later. Haverhill Police later confirmed Almonte and Acosta, along with Juan Marte, were involved in the Temple Street gunfire.
The case against Colon’s alleged killer Almonte is progressing at the Superior Court level.