Police: Peabody shooting not random

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February 23, 2013

Police: Peabody shooting not random

By Bethany Bray STAFF WRITER The Salem News Sat Feb 23, 2013, 04:30 AM EST

PEABODY — An 18 year-old Peabody resident was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds Thursday night.

Just after 11 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting a possible stabbing at 45 Washington St. Apt. 5.

Police said they arrived to find Frank Celestino “suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.” The 18 year-old was taken to Salem Hospital.

No arrests have been made in connection to the incident.

Peabody police, via a press release, said the shooting “does not appear to be a random act.”

Steve O’Connell, spokesman for the Essex County District Attorney’s office, said Celestino does not live at 45 Washington St., but is a Peabody resident.

O’Connell declined to release further information last night, except to say “investigators are conducting interviews and processing evidence” in connection to the incident.

According to Peabody’s police log, Officers Javier Sanchez and Matthew Mason responded to the 11 p.m. call and transported two males and four females to the police station following the incident.

Peabody police and State Police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s office are investigating the incident.

This marks the second shooting police have investigated on Washington Street in as many months.

Police responded to 197 Washington St., Apt. 3 the evening of Jan. 3. Resident John Leger, 27, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with apparent gunshot wounds to the thigh.

Police named Aquiles Antonio Bernabe-Deleon, 21, of Lynn as a suspect in the incident.

City records list the owner of 45 Washington St. as Carolynne Belanger, who could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Celestino’s condition was unknown last night.

Bethany Bray can be reached at bbray@salemnews.com and on Twitter @SalemNewsBB.