03-08-2025
New Jersey man charged in fatal Fitchburg shooting
Fitchburg police said a man was killed after gunfire erupted on Mechanic Street early Sunday morning.
The victim, found suffering from a gunshot wound outside a vehicle, was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
The Worcester County District Attorney's Office said police have arrested 42-year-old Jonathan Reyss-Contreras, of New Jersey. He now faces a number of charges, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. He will be arraigned on Monday morning in Fitchburg District Court.
Investigators said the two individuals knew each other and there is no danger to the public, but neighbors are still deeply concerned.
"It sounded like they were having a party, and then a car peeled off, and I heard .... I thought it was the engine backfiring on the car as it peeled off," neighbor Bruce Smith said. He was standing on his porch when the shooting happened. "It was mind-blowing because I didn't realize it was a gunshot and what happened."
"I thought it was a fight. I thought it was an accident. I thought it could've been, you know, anything, but now to come out and figure out someone was shot and killed, you know, it's kind of crazy; it's mind boggling," neighbor Donovan Deleon said.
"It's scary because you wonder what really is going on, what's going on up the street, what's going on down the street, what sort of neighbor do I have," neighbor Marlene Crooks said.
The shooting remains under investigation, and the victim's identity has not yet been released.
