Hazardous Shooting Incident On Route 1-July 22, 1978

Police issued a warrant for Stephen Pacheco, 24, of Somerville, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon following a shooting incident that occurred Thursday afternoon.

The incident began when a van traveling southbound near the Norwood-Canton exit was struck by gunfire. According to police, the shot punctured the passenger’s side of the van, landing just twelve inches from the door handle. Wayne Osborne of Dorchester, who was riding in the passenger seat, remarked, “For the sake of 12 inches I’m standing here now and not shot.” The van was being driven by James D. Allred of Bridgewater.

Investigators determined that the confrontation stemmed from a tailgating and brushing episode between the two vehicles near Simoni’s Flowers on Route 1. As the suspect’s car exited the highway ramp, a man believed to be holding a .45 caliber automatic extended his arm from the window and fired at the van.

The suspects were later spotted at Norwood Hospital, where they were reportedly visiting a patient. Off-duty Dedham Patrolman David Mason, having heard a police broadcast, identified the vehicle on Linden Street behind the hospital. Inside the hospital, Detective Robert Lawrie confronted the men, leading them from the second-floor stairway to the lobby. At that moment, Pacheco escaped, while his companion, Christopher Burbridge, 21, of Malden, remained in custody. Burbridge was questioned and later released pending further investigation.

Adding to the confusion, a separate report emerged of a man wielding a butcher knife at the Liggett Drug Store on Washington Street. Though unrelated to the shooting, police apprehended the knife-carrying man, who had threatened to rob the store and harm himself or others.

Police later recovered a .45 caliber Colt automatic from the trunk of the suspect’s car, along with more than $500 in cash. The weapon had been reported stolen in a Somerville housebreak earlier that year. The firearm, containing six live rounds, was sent to the state police ballistics lab for analysis, along with the spent bullet retrieved from the van.

This violent episode underscored the dangers of highway confrontations and the swift escalation of minor disputes into life-threatening incidents. For Norwood, the shooting was a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and the role of local institutions like Norwood Hospital and the Norwood Police Department in responding to crises.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger