Two Men Charged in Massachusetts Shooting of Pregnant Woman That Killed Unborn Child

Two men in Massachusetts have been charged with murder after a stray bullet hit a pregnant woman on a bus and killed her unborn child.

The Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a statement on Facebook that the Holyoke Police Department responded to a reported shooting around noon on Wednesday at the 100 block of Sargeant Street, where three men were involved in an apparent altercation that escalated to a shooting.

“It is believed one of the rounds from that altercation struck a public transportation bus and an uninvolved female occupant, who was seated in the bus,” said the DA’s office. 

The woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition, while the infant, “who was delivered, and needed life-saving medical services, tragically passed away.”

Two of the suspects, Alejandro Ramos, 22, and Johnluis Sanchez, 30, are facing murder charges in connection to the Wednesday shooting.

Ramos is expected to be arraigned on Thursday, according to the DA’s office. He is expected to face other charges in addition to murder. Meanwhile, Sanchez, who is currently hospitalized, will be formally arraigned when his condition allows.

The third suspect was also arrested, but it remains unclear whether or not he will face charges, according to The Boston Globe.

In an average year, over 240 people die and 688 are injured in Massachusetts due to gun violence, according to Everytown Research and Policy.

“Every life lost to gun violence is a tragedy, especially those taken far, far too soon. My heart goes out to the victims, families, and all of Holyoke in the wake of this afternoon’s senseless shooting,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said on X, formerly known as Twitter, in the wake of the Wednesday shooting.