On the morning of Friday, December 6, 2024, 32-year-old Haitian-American Melissa Janvier Pablo was shot while in a crosswalk near the TownePlace Suites hotel on Marginal Street in Chelsea, Massachusetts. First responders found her on the ground and took her to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died. The shooting occurred about 8:45 a.m., was witnessed by several people, and left a pair of shoes in the median.

Melissa had a history of domestic violence with her husband, Luckenson King Pablo; friends and family said she had reported his violent behavior, obtained a protection order, and left their home at times to escape the abuse. After the shooting, the gunman fled in a car but was identified from witness accounts and surveillance as her 31-year-old estranged husband. Police surrounded an Everett apartment building and arrested Luckenson King Pablo a few hours later; he was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail after an arraignment in Chelsea District Court. Local domestic violence groups held a vigil in her honor.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about Melissa’s case, please share what you know.