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2 People Shot, 1 Dead, In Stoneham Home

A Boston-area man said Wednesday his son, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, was the victim of a fatal shooting overnight.

Joseph Puopolo said that his 27-year-old son, also named Joseph Puopolo (POP'-uh-loh), was visiting a friend's home in Stoneham, a suburb north of Boston where the family also lives.

MaryBeth Long, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex district attorney's office, said earlier Wednesday one person was killed and another hospitalized after the early morning shooting. She said the shooting "does not appear random." No further details have been released.

Puopolo said his son was "a good kid" who happened to be at the wrong place.

"Anybody that knew my son would tell you the same thing: he was a wonderful kid who would give you the shirt off his back," Puopolo said.

He said his son had recently taken the exam to qualify for the state police. "He was looking forward to that, too. I just feel so bad," the father said. They had been working together in the family's auto detailing business since his son got out of the Army about eight months ago.

Joseph Allessandro, the young man's godfather, told reporters at the shooting scene that Puopolo had been commended for helping a fellow soldier after both were injured by a land mine in Afghanistan.

Puopolo said he has been overwhelmed by an outpouring of sympathy from those who knew his son. "I never realized he was loved by so many people."

This article was originally published on July 03, 2013.

This program aired on July 3, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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