Fatal shooting preceded by ‘minor car accident’, Plymouth coroner says

Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz identified the man who was fatally shot in a Plymouth parking lot Friday as Brent Berkley, 41, of Plymouth.

David Jerome, 23, of Plymouth, was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting, the district attorney said at a news conference at the Plymouth Police Department Saturday afternoon.

Around 5:45 p.m. Friday, police received multiple calls about a person with a gunshot wound in a public parking lot on Middle Street.

When police arrived, witnesses said they heard three to four gunshots, Cruz said. They also described the gunman.

Prior to the shooting, Berkley was driving a Jeep SUV and Jerome was driving a Toyota RAV4 when they were involved in a minor traffic accident.

“There was a physical altercation between the two before the confrontation occurred,” Cruz said, adding that he was not calling it a road rage incident at this point.

The reason behind the attack is still under investigation. There was anger, but he said what triggered the anger was part of the investigation.

Jerome’s 18-month-old son was in his car seat in the RAV4 at the time of the incident and was not injured. The child was returned to the family, Cruz said.

Berkley was taken by ambulance to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, where he was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m.

Jerome had a license to carry an active weapon, but that license was suspended after the shooting, the district attorney said.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday on charges of discharging a firearm within 150 feet of a building, recklessly endangering a child, improperly storing a firearm, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, improper storage of ammunition and possession of large-capacity explosives. device.

Cruz warned people who get angry when certain situations arise.

“Don’t let things escalate out of proportion,” he said. “We live in a world where many people have short fuses and terrible things happen very quickly, can escalate very quickly and unfortunately only look for the aftermath. “One family has lost someone forever, and the other family will face significant problems.”