Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger on the scene of a fatal shooting involving Lynn police and an armed suspect at 300 Lynn Shore Drive. (Photo by Owen O’Rourke)
By Thomas Grillo and Gayla Cawley
LYNN—A robbery at the Porthole Restaurant a week ago led to a fatal shooting by police in the corridor of a waterfront condominium building Monday morning.
Authorities identified the 57-year-old male resident of 300 Lynn Shore Drive, apartment 511, as the shooting victim and suspect in the armed robbery.
The man’s identity was not released pending notification of next of kin.
Just after 9 a.m., Lynn Police attempted to serve a search warrant on the fifth floor of the beachfront condominium building in connection with an armed robbery at the Porthole on Monday, Sept. 26, according to statement provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the statement, officers announced themselves at 511’s door. A woman inside the apartment with the suspect subsequently told police the man pointed a gun at the door, at which point she fled to her bedroom.
The woman and police said, according to the DA’s statement, that the suspect told police they were not going to take him. Officers forced their way into the apartment, and, as soon as they entered, an officer saw the suspect pointing a gun at the door and he announced, “gun.”
Officers moved back and the statement said the suspect exited the apartment into the hallway while pointing a gun at officers. Three officers then fired at the suspect.
Officers called immediately for an ambulance and responding Lynn Fire Department emergency medical personnel and pronounced the suspect dead.
Investigators are working to determine how many shots were fired and how many shots hit the suspect. The matter remains under investigation by the Essex District Attorney’s Office, the State Police detectives assigned to the Essex District Attorney’s Office and Crime Scene Services and Ballistics.
Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger said eight officers present during the incident have been placed on administrative leave for three days. He said three days off is standard protocol for any officers involved in a shooting.
The drama began early Sept. 26, last Monday morning, when Porthole Restaurant owner Robert Gaudet arrived at work. While he restocked the bar, his maintenance man yelled from upstairs for him to go up to the office. Gaudet discovered his employee tied up. Two men were in the office and one pointed a gun at Gaudet.
“One of them was wearing a ski mask, they both had painter’s masks and the guy facing me wore oversized sunglasses,” he said. “He told me to get on my knees and I refused to open the safe. There’s not much money here, it’s all credit cards.”
Within a few minutes another employee came in the office looking for aprons and towels and the two guys fled, he said.
“I’m still shaken up by the whole thing,” he said. “The Lynn police did a phenomenal job.”
Dolores Diliberti, a 14-year-resident of the 10-story complex, said she was surprised by the shooting.
“All I heard (was) that somebody pulled a gun on a police officer and I guess he had no choice,” she said.
Six-year building resident Harry Coppola was drinking coffee on his seventh floor balcony when he saw police cars converge on the parking lot.
Coppola and Diliberti described the property as a nice, quiet place to live.
“We have problems occasionally, but nothing like this,” said Coppola.
Maryann Turner lives next door at 295 Lynn Shore Drive. She said the incident is “extremely upsetting,” and not a usual occurrence in the neighborhood.
“I guess it could happen anywhere,” she said.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at tgrillo@itemlive.com. Gayla Cawley can be reached at gcawley@itemlive.com.