Man arrested after being accused of using ghost gun to shoot at three people in Middleborough

MIDDLEBOROUGH – Chief Joseph Perkins reports that the Middleborough Police Department arrested a Hanson man early Thursday morning and charged him with allegedly shooting at three people in a parking lot.

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

At approximately 1 a.m., Middleborough Police responded to the area of 47 Wareham St., for a report of gunshots in the small parking lot at the Herring Run park near the Nemasket River.

When officers arrived, no one was at the scene. Two 9mm shell casings were discovered on the ground in the parking lot and were photographed and collected as evidence.

A short time later, police responded to a separate call for a disturbance and upon further investigation officers were able to locate two of the victims, a 20-year-old Wareham man and a 22-year-old Middleborough man and the vehicle involved in the incident. The vehicle’s hood had been struck by a bullet. The third victim, a 24-year-old Middleborough woman was not with the other two men.

The victims provided officers with a description of the suspect vehicle, a silver Chrysler 300 sedan with a bird emblem on the hood resembling an eagle. Officers in the area were notified to be on the lookout for the vehicle.

A short time later, a Middleborough Police officer located a vehicle matching the description and pulled the driver over on Everett Street.

Through further investigation, officers identified the driver, Matthew Noonan, 18, of Hanson, as the person who allegedly shot at the victims and he was placed under arrest.

In searching Noonan’s vehicle, officers located and seized a 9mm handgun in the glove box. The gun did not have a serial number and is believed to be what is referred to as a “ghost gun.” A ghost gun is a firearm where parts of a gun are purchased separately and assembled together. But once completed, the firearm needs to be registered and have a serial number stamped on it in order for it to be possessed legally.

It is unclear what led to the shots being fired and the incident remains under investigation by Middleborough Police.

Noonan was charged with Attempted Murder (Three Counts), Assault to Murder (Three Counts), Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Three Counts),
Discharging a Firearm Within 500 Feet of a Building (Two Counts), Possession of a Firearm Without a Serial Number, Carrying a Firearm Without a License, and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.

Noonan is expected to be arraigned later Thursday at Wareham District Court.

“This was great work by our officers to locate the victims and the suspect in this incident after they had left the scene of where the shots were fired,” Chief Perkins said. “An illegal ‘ghost gun’ is now off the streets and the suspect has been placed under arrest.”