Fatal shooting preceded by ‘minor traffic incident’, Plymouth prosecutor says

Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz identified the man who was fatally shot in a Plymouth parking lot on 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 during a news conference at the Plymouth Police Department Saturday afternoon.

Police received numerous calls around 5:45 p.m. Friday about a person who suffered a gunshot wound in a public parking lot on Middle Street.

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

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

“A physical altercation occurred between the two before the shooting occurred,” Cruz said, adding that he is not calling it a road rage incident at this time.

The motive for the shooting is still under investigation. There was anger, he said, but what sparked the anger is part of the investigation.

Jerome’s 18-month-old son was in a car seat in the RAV4 at the time of the incident and was not injured. The boy 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 an active license to carry a gun, which was suspended after the shooting, the district attorney said.

He is expected to be arraigned Monday on charges of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, recklessly endangering a child, improper storage of a firearm, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, improper storage of ammunition and possession of a high-capacity weapon. device.

Cruz warned people who get angry when certain situations arise.

“Let’s not let things blow out of proportion,” he said. “We live in a world where a lot of people have problems and terrible things happen very quickly, they could escalate very quickly and then, unfortunately, you see the consequences. “One family has lost someone forever and another family will have to deal with major issues.”