Man Tied To Fatal Shootings To Appear In NH Court

A 35-year-old man wanted for questioning in the shooting deaths of four people in Boston is making his first court appearance in New Hampshire.

Kimani Washington of Boston is being arraigned Monday in Manchester, where he was arrested Friday on a fugitive from justice charge. He is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and receiving a stolen motor vehicle, but he has not been charged with murder.

Police questioned Washington shortly after five people, including a toddler, were found shot last week in the Mattapan neighborhood. He was released because authorities lacked the evidence to immediately detain him, police said Saturday. Four of the victims died in one of Boston's deadliest shootings in years.

At a press conference Saturday, Boston police commissioner Edward Davis said it was too early to comment on whether there were other suspects, and the investigation was continuing.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the arrest should serve as a warning to those "who seek to harm others."

"Our officers will not rest until you are hunted down, captured and locked up," he said.

It was unclear Saturday if Washington had an attorney.

Five people were found shot early Tuesday on Woolson Street in one of the deadliest shootings in Boston in years.

Killed were 2-year-old Amani Smith; his mother, 21-year-old Eyanna Flonory; her boyfriend, 21-year-old Simba Martin; and 22-year-old Levaughn Washum-Garrison. Relatives say Amani died in his mother's arms. The fifth victim, 32-year-old Marcus Hurd, was hospitalized Saturday in critical condition.

A spokesman for the Flonory family, Till Freeman, said Saturday that they "are grateful and thankful for the arrest, but, once again, nothing will take away the pain that our families are going through."

Police first spoke to Washington about two hours after the shootings early Tuesday after Hurd gave police a description of a vehicle which he said a suspect had taken, Davis said. Washington agreed to speak to police after officers noticed Washington near a similar vehicle, Davis said.

At first, Washington denied any connection to the car, but later produced the key. But Davis said it wasn't enough to arrest him. Davis said the vehicle, a rental car, was only similar to the one the victim described and it hadn't been reported stolen.

"You have to understand no one was speaking at that scene at that time," he said.

Davis said it took about 12 hours to link the vehicle to the crime scene. Police got a warrant to search a house where Washington had been living with relatives, then issued an arrest warrant for him after they found marijuana and two guns.

Washington's stepfather, Charles Collins, told The Boston Globe he hadn't known any guns were in the house before the police search. He said he and his wife had become concerned in recent days when they didn't see Washington and he didn't answer his phone.

Davis declined to specify how they traced Washington to New Hampsire, except to say they acted partly on a tip.

Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said tests, including ballistics testing, are being conducted to determine if the guns are linked to the killings.

Driscoll said Washington had a prior criminal record, but did not release details. Boston police spokesman James Kenneally said Washington was featured this year on the department's video "Police Blotter on Demand" because of a default warrant against him. The feature on the Comcast cable provider features mugshots of the city's "most wanted," and Washington appears to mock his inclusion on a Facebook page that a law enforcement source confirmed belonged to him.

"You tell me why I'm Boston's Most Wanted but them (expletives) ain't got a warrant.?!!?! Tell me I ain't the realest (racial epithet) livin' both in & outta prison," he wrote in an Aug. 20 entry.

Washington also refers to guns and violence on his page. In his most recent entry, dated Sept. 20, he wrote, "If u don't spot the vic(tim) in the first 30 seconds that means ur IT. If u don't hear the shots when the shells yell Sun that means ur HIT."

In a Sept. 18 entry, he wrote, "Slip a clip in the GLOCK" (a type of handgun). "Spit a bit (at) ya TOP. If not bigga 2 WALK then bigga in CHALK."