Salem Man Charged In Deadly Shooting Of Worcester SSU Student-Athlete

SALEM, MA — A Salem 18-year-old was charged on Wednesday in the shooting death of 18-year-old Salem State student Carl-Hens Beliard, a member of the SSU men's basketball team from Worcester, earlier Wednesday morning on Forest Avenue.

Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller and the Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said at a news conference Wednesday night that Canela was arrested after a daylong search by Salem Police detectives and members of the Essex County State Police Detectives Unit.

He will be arraigned on Thursday at Salem District Court.

"This has been a tremendously difficult day for our entire campus community and for those that knew Carl best," Salem State President John Keenan said Wednesday night. "It is a huge relief to our community to have this arrest made so quickly as our campus is hurting, and I hope (this arrest) brings a moment of comfort to Carl's family and friends."

Keenan said counselors were on hand for students who needed them on Wednesday.

In a joint statement released mid-morning on Wednesday, Miller, Tucker and Keenan said Beliard was found shot in a car after police were called for a reported shooting on Forest Avenue near the school campus at about 1:30 a.m.

Beliard was rushed to Salem Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Worcester North High School Principal Sam FanFan confirmed that Beliard was a graduate of the school and a member of the 2023 state championship basketball team. Beliard was also a member of the Salem State men's basketball team and was a sport and movement major.

A makeshift memorial was set up at the site of the shooting with the players on the men's basketball team walking over to the memorial and standing shoulder-to-shoulder for a few moments of silence for their teammate on Wednesday afternoon.

Multiple gunshots were heard early in the morning overnight on Halloween and a car crashed into a retaining wall at 22 Forest Avenue near Lussier Street.

Traffic was diverted from the area overnight with the investigation ongoing on Wednesday.

Police used K9s during the afternoon search for the suspect.