DA Wants 'Reckless' Gunfire Penalty Boost: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Tuesday, Nov. 18. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A Worcester woman has been charged after she accidentally fired a 9mm handgun inside a Northborough Walmart on Monday.
• Middlesex DA Marian Ryan is behind an effort to boost penalties for reckless gunfire.
• A recount held Tuesday in Framingham has ended in a tie between two candidates.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Middlesex County DA Marian Ryan is getting behind a proposed state law that would increase penalties for people convicted firing guns.

Ryan testified in support of H 2433 on Tuesday, which would boost penalties for a crime that is now just a misdemeanor, the DA said.

"We need a statute that allows us to charge someone who recklessly discharges a firearm w/o regard for safety of those close by. Today I testified in support of H2433/S1602 to address this need," Ryan tweeted on Tuesday.

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Tuesday's Other Top Stories

Woman fires gun in Walmart: A Worcester woman has been charged after she accidentally fired a 9mm handgun inside a Northborough Walmart on Monday. According to reports, the woman digging through her purse in the checkout line when she bumped the handgun, causing it to fire a single shot.

Recount tie: A recount held Tuesday put District 3 Councilor Adam Steiner and challenger Mary Kate Feeney even at 997 votes each. Steiner initially came out ahead of Feeney by just two votes on Nov. 2. with 130 blank ballots and six write-ins.

Free buses face deadline: The Worcester Regional Transit Authority suspended fares after the pandemic began in March 2020 as a way to keep passengers and drivers distanced. The WRTA board has voted several times since to keep the policy in place, but the fare-free period is set to expire Dec. 31.

Church selling for $1: The Waltham chapel was built in 1915 and rests on a 30,000+ square foot lot. The structure itself is 29,474 square feet and is located in a Residence C zoning district, which is multifamily with potential for Special Permitting from the Waltham City Council.

Developing Story: Wu Makes, History, Sworn In As Boston Mayor

They Said It

"A year ago, we were heading into a Thanksgiving where public health experts were advising against traveling or gathering with family and friends. Last Thanksgiving, for the first time, it was just four of us — my wife and I, our daughter and her — and my son-in-law. Later this month, our tables and our hearts are going to be filled, thanks to the vaccines."

• President Joe Biden, who plans to spend Thanksgiving with his family on Nantucket this year.

By The Numbers

2025: The year Johnson Elementary School in Natick will close. The School Committee on Monday night voted 5-1 to shutter the 73-year-old building, moving students in phases to other town elementary schools.