A man accused of shooting his mother and another woman at a home in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Friday cried in court Monday as he faced several charges and prosecutors shared new details on the case.
A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of Brent Justice Roman-Finnagan, 22, to charges including armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery.
Roman-Finnegan's mother and the other woman were both shot multiple times and remained in critical but stable condition on Monday after going through surgeries, Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Whitney Williams said in Concord District Court.
"The defendant did admit to having committed the shooting," she said, adding that Roman-Finnagan told officers that he regretted it. He also allegedly admitted to having a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol that was found on the couch where the other woman, whom Roman-Finnagan allegedly referred to as his aunt, was found wounded.
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The shooting on Keeler Farm Way was reported Friday afternoon about 4:46 p.m. Roman-Finnagan's mother had called 911 to say that her son had shot her, Williams said. Officers saw him leaving the house, she said; his mother was on the stairs on the way into the house and the other wounded woman was on the couch.
The judge ordered that Roman-Finnegan be held without bail ahead of a hearing next Tuesday and approved funds for a mental health evaluation of the defendant, whose lawyer said he's been treated for mental health issues for years.
"Mental health plays a big role in this issue that we're dealing with here today, and that needs to be evaluated," the lawyer said, adding that the system let him down.
He also said, asking for funding for a neurological evaluation, that Roman-Finnegan "exhibits some very concerning systems both to himself and to myself talking to him." The judge waited to rule on that request until after the psychological evaluation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
The two victims' names have not been released, but officials have identified the mother as a 57-year-old Lexington woman and her friend as a 55-year-old Haverhill woman.
Roman-Finnegan was visibly upset in court on Monday, at times breaking into tears.
Officials have previously said they believe Roman-Finnagan illegally bought a gun and then kept it in his room inside the home he lived at with his mother. Williams said that three magazines, two of which were large-capacity, were found in the room.
NBC10 Boston learned the house is a rental owned by the Lexington Housing Assistance Board.
Officials allege that while Roman-Finnagan was inside the home with his mom and her friend on Friday evening, he grabbed the gun from his room and shot both women, injuring them. A motive has not been released in the case.
Roman-Finnagan was charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of assault and battery as a result of discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.
