NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — A man is facing criminal charges in connection with an incident at a fast-food restaurant on the North Shore early Sunday morning.
Ja Wayne Keondre Early, 23, of Haverhill, is slated to be arraigned Monday in Newburyport District Court on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, assault and battery, possession of a large-capacity feeding device, receiving stolen property, two counts of threatening to commit murder, and malicious destruction of property, according to the Newburyport Police Department.
Officers responding to a report of dispute among three people involving a firearm at Wendy’s at 25 Storey Avenue just after midnight identified Early as the alleged aggressor, police said.
Early was taken into custody after police said officers found him in possession of a loaded 9 mm handgun that had been previously reported stolen.
“I’m grateful to the responding officers for their quick and diligent response to safely quell a volatile situation,” Newburyport City Marshal Matthew Simons said in a statement. “Thank you to all the officers involved for their collaborative work in getting a stolen gun off the street.”
Early was ordered held on $50,000 bail pending his court hearing.
An investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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