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Colon’s Mother: My Son Was Not a Gang Member, Calls Reports to Contrary ‘Lies’

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Haverhill residents gathered at the makeshift street memorial in memory of shooting victim Nike Colon. (Jay Saulnier photograph for WHAV News)

As Nike Colon’s family prepares to bury the 20-year-old killed in a drive-by shooting in Haverhill’s Mount Washington neighborhood, Colon’s mother is slamming reports that her son was a gang member. Colon’s mother, Michelee Geronimo, spoke out after a poster on Mayor James J. Fiorentini’s official Facebook page accused the teen of being in a gang, citing an unnamed source in the Haverhill Police Department. “That’s a damn lie,” Geronimo said. “They straight lied to you and with this comment I will (talk to) the police department to find out who told you lies about my son.”

As residents chimed into the social media conversation, Fiorentini offered his condolences to Geronimo—and a word of warning to his constituents.

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Funeral Services for Drive-By Shooting Victim Colon to be Held Thursday, Friday

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Family and friends will gather to remember Mount Washington shooting victim Nike Colon Thursday and Friday in Haverhill. (File photograph)

Funeral services for Nike Colon, the Haverhill High School grad killed in last Thursday’s drive-by shooting in the city’s Mount Washington neighborhood, are planned for later this week, his family has announced. The arrangements are being handled by the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home. Calling hours take place on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at 486 Main St., with funeral services set for Friday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Colon’s burial follows at St.

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Mount Washington Residents After Colon Murder: ‘We’re Taking Our Neighborhood Back’

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Haverhill residents gathered at the makeshift street memorial in memory of shooting victim Nike Colon. (Jay Saulnier photograph for WHAV News)

Four days after the drive-by shooting death of 20-year-old Haverhill High grad Nike Colon, residents of the Mount Washington neighborhood where the murder took place say they won’t let the incident shake their close-knit community. Over the weekend, approximately 30 residents gathered at a street memorial on Washington Street assembled by Colon’s family and friends for an impromptu ‘peace rally’ organized by neighbor Keith Boucher. Mayor James J. Fiorentini and several members of the City Council stopped by to show their support and chat with neighbors. Conversation largely focused on Fiorentini’s Friday decision to hire two UTEC street workers to combat violence in the city.

Haverhill

Police Have Not Ruled Out Gang Retaliation for Thursday’s Shooting Death

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Haverhill Police Capt. Stephen Doherty and Deputy Chief Anthony L. Haugh confer at Thursday’s crime scene on Washington Street. (WHAV News photograph.)

Haverhill Police have not ruled out gang retaliation as a motive behind Thursday’s shooting death of 20-year-old Nike Colon. WHAV posed the question to Police Chief Alan R. DeNaro during a previously scheduled budget press conference Friday that was overshadowed by recent violence. “We’re still not sure about that. We have to get people to, obviously that we’re talking to people and we’re trying to piece the whole process together so, at this point, it is still too early for us to make a definitive statement about that,” DeNaro said.

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Victim in Deadly Haverhill Drive-By Shooting Identified

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City man Nike Colon was confirmed as the 20-year-old victim in Thursday’s deadly drive-by shooting in Haverhill’s Mount Washington neighbhorhood. (Jay Saulnier photograph for WHAV News)

A 20-year-old Haverhill High School graduate has been identified as the victim in Thursday’s deadly drive-by shooting in the city’s Mount Washington neighborhood. City man Nike Colon was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle at the corner of Washington and Shepherd Streets just after 5 p.m., according to Carrie Kimball-Monahan, a spokeswoman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett. The incident took place near Riley’s convenience store and Benedetti’s deli. After the shooting, the driver of the Dodge ram pickup truck drove to Haverhill City Hall on Summer Street, parking in the rear lot near Newcomb Street.

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UPDATE: Man, 20, Killed in Shooting on Haverhill’s Washington Street

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Haverhill Police survey the scene of a Thursday shooting on Washington Street near Riley’s convenience store. (Jay Saulnier photograph for WHAV News)

A 20-year-old man was killed Thursday afternoon after being shot in Haverhill’s Mount Washington neighborhood—Haverhill’s second murder of the year. The man was pronounced dead after being shot at the corner of Washington and Shepard Streets, near Riley’s convenience store, shortly after 5, said Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett. Shortly thereafter, police cordoned off Newcomb Street, alongside of City Hall, where a witness told WHAV he saw a Dodge Ram enter City Hall’s rear parking lot with a passenger slumped over. The district attorney’s office confirmed the passenger was the victim after being shot by a person in a passing vehicle.