Former tenant surprised Everett man allegedly caused standoff

EVERETT, Mass. — The former tenant of a suspect in a nearly six-hour armed standoff with Everett police says she cannot fathom why her landlord of 15 years would threaten officers and barricade himself in his house on Christmas Day.

"Fifteen years, so I knew every side of him," Madeline Cortes said. "I was just in shock, because you would never think anything like that of him,"

Cortes, who moved out about seven years ago, said she lived in one apartment of the Summer St., duplex that Mark Lavoine, 53, owns. He lives in the other unit. No one is currently renting the second apartment.

Everett police arrived before noon on Friday following neighbors' reports of multiple gunshots inside Lavoine's home. Lavoine would not leave his house, police said, and threatened officers.

A SWAT team descended on the property, as a negotiator using a bullhorn pleaded with Lavoine to exit.

"Mark, it's Christmas," the negotiator said. "We don't want you or anyone getting hurt today, Mark."

Officers later fired pepper spray canisters into the building.

By 5:30 p.m., Lavoine walked out of the house with his arms up as flames were visible in the front of the home. Police took him down and found three pistols, Chief Steven Mazzie said. Lavoine was arrested, and no one was hurt.

Investigators did not immediately release the cause of the fire or who started it, but Mazzie said the pepper spray canisters are made to be non-flammable.

Cortes said Lavoine had told her he was a flight instructor, and he seemed to have his life in order.

"He left every morning early for work, and he was dedicated to his job," Cortes said. "He was a good person. I don't know. I'm so confused."

Some neighbors called Lavoine a loner and speculated that he had "snapped."

But Cortes called Lavoine a "very gentle soul, very soft-spoken, very respectful." She said he has experienced a lot of tragedy in his life with the loss of loved ones, but she did not believe he was capable of violence.

"When I left and moved away, the first thing he said to me was, if you have trouble finding a place or you're not happy at your new place, my door is always open," Cortes said. "I want to know more. Like, what really happened?"

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office is screening charges against Lavoine.

Cox Media Group