Crime
19-year-old Danielson Varela charged in fatal shooting of Cristiano Macedo inside New Bedford Morna Lounge and Grill
Two female victims sustained gunshot wounds and were treated for their injuries.
A 19-year-old New Bedford resident, Danielson Varela, has been charged in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred Saturday at the Morna Lounge and Grill on Acushnet Avenue.
The incident left one man dead and two women injured, according to authorities.
The shooting, reported Saturday inside the popular lounge, resulted in the death of 27-year-old Cristiano Macedo, also of New Bedford.
Two female victims sustained gunshot wounds and were treated for their injuries.
Varela was apprehended on Sunday and now faces multiple charges, including:
- First-degree murder
- Unlawful possession of a firearm
- Carrying a loaded firearm
- Two counts of assault and battery with a firearm
He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in New Bedford District Court.
The case remains under active investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with New Bedford Police and Homicide Unit prosecutors.
Authorities have not released additional details about the events leading up to the shooting or Varela’s alleged involvement.
This tragic incident has shaken the New Bedford community, with many expressing condolences to the family of Cristiano Macedo and concern for the injured victims.
Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
Authorities in Maine have released additional details regarding the tragic Sabattus shooting that left three people dead and two others injured on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
29-year-old James Davis III, a resident of Sabattus, has been identified as the gunman.
According to Maine State Police Colonel William Ross, Davis was experiencing a mental health crisis before the incident, which resulted in the deaths of his 47-year-old mother, Christine Smith, and 53-year-old Katherine Williams, a local school employee.
Davis lived with his mother on Dube Drive, located less than a mile from where the shooting occurred.
Authorities say he had a sporadic work history, did not have a driver’s license, and was primarily cared for by his mother.
On the morning of the shooting, Smith drove Davis to his father’s home on Birchwood Drive, where he spent most of the day with his father and grandmother.
Family members reported that Davis began acting erratically, speaking incoherently, and displaying signs of mental distress.
Relatives attempted to contact Smith throughout the day, as she was often able to calm him down.
Later, Davis’ father arranged for him to meet with his mother, hoping it would help stabilize his behavior.
Investigators revealed that Davis was in possession of a .357 revolver and an AK-47 rifle when he arrived at his father’s home. After the shooting, additional firearms were recovered from the residence.
Authorities confirmed that Davis carried both weapons into his father’s vehicle when he was driven to meet his mother. When he switched to her car, he took the firearms with him.
Despite Davis’ troubling behavior earlier in the day, there was no indication that family members attempted to remove his firearms or contact law enforcement before the tragedy unfolded.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., Smith was driving Davis home on King Road, approaching the intersection of Middle Road (Route 9), when Davis shot her with the .357 revolver.
Smith was killed instantly, and the vehicle veered off the road, coming to a stop on the front lawn of a nearby home near the Lisbon town line.
Davis then exited the vehicle with the AK-47 and began firing indiscriminately at passing cars.
Three drivers were struck by gunfire:
- Katherine Williams, 53, of Sabattus – Fatally wounded. Her vehicle crashed into a nearby home. She was transported to Central Maine Medical Center (CMCC) in Lewiston, where she was pronounced dead.
- Tyson Turner, 19, of Jay – Shot while driving. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
- David Wilson, 35, of Hartford – Also struck by gunfire. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
After firing multiple rounds into traffic, Davis turned the AK-47 on himself, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police confirmed that the entire incident unfolded within a matter of minutes.
Williams, affectionately known as “Kay,” was a beloved employee of Regional School Unit 4.
She served as the food service manager at Carrie Ricker School and Libby Tozier School in Litchfield.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Katy Grondin expressed the school community’s grief:
“There is no question that her death will have an impact on all of us, as Kay was a beloved member of the RSU 4 community. Our thoughts are with her family as they begin to process this loss.”
Authorities do not believe Davis knew any of the passing drivers he shot at, indicating the attack was random.
While police are still investigating Davis’ history of drug use, an initial search did not uncover any drugs, and his family did not report any signs of substance abuse.
An autopsy will determine whether he had any substances in his system at the time of the shooting.
Col. Ross acknowledged the rarity of such incidents, though he referenced a similar mass shooting in Bowdoin, Maine, as another recent act of violence.
The Maine State Police, Sabattus Police Department, Lisbon Police Department, and Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the tragedy.
Further details will be released as they become available.