UPDATE on restaurant shooter

[graywarrior]

(MODS: I included entire article because registration is required to this paper)




Ex-Lynner alludes to suicide by cop motive

By Robin Kaminski / The Daily Item

LYNN - The 30-year-old New Hampshire man and former Lynn resident charged with opening fire inside China Lion restaurant Saturday was ordered held without bail by Judge Michael Lauranzano during his arraignment Monday in Lynn District Court.

Prosecutors say Anthony Gobbi, of East Wakefield, N.H., who was also held on a probation violation, went into the restaurant at 8 Market St. early Saturday morning, extremely intoxicated and began harassing customers and employees.

Gobbi, who had ordered a beer, was denied service by the bartender when he was unable to produce identification.

Prosecutors say Gobbi then chatted up two women sitting at the bar and left yelling he was denied service because he was white.

Reports say Gobbi, a former resident of Euclid Avenue, then retrieved an AK-47 and Glock handgun from his Cadillac Escalade, walked back into the restaurant and began firing at the ceiling.

Customers and employees ducked and hid under tables, each saying they were "scared to death." One customer was able to push Gobbi out of the restaurant and take away the weapon even as Gobbi continued to fire outside. Prosecutor Jen Kirshenbaum said during the arraignment that Gobbi obtained the weapons from his parents in New Hampshire and that he was planning to kill himself.

Gobbi, an assistant manager at Speedy Auto Service, was disheveled in court Monday with a scruffy beard, black eye and wearing a blue denim shirt over a T-shirt. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Gobbi was represented by a court-appointed lawyer and is scheduled for a dangerousness hearing Dec. 15.
A relative of Gobbi's who declined to reveal their name, told The Item after the arraignment the shooting spree is "not like him (Gobbi)."

Police charged Gobbi with 15 counts of armed assault to murder, one count for each person in the restaurant, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, unlicensed possession of ammunition, two counts of carrying a loaded high-capacity firearm and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
While being treated at Salem Hospital for lacerations to his face and lip area, Gobbi reportedly told police, "I wish I just shot myself and got it over with."

When interviewed by police, Gobbi said he had been drinking in Rochester, N.H. Friday night to the point where he had blacked out and that he shouldn't drink alcohol because he "gets into trouble" when he does.

He said at some point during the night, he got a ride back to his family's home in Wakefield, N.H., and grabbed some guns and the keys to his uncle's vehicle even though he doesn't have a driver's license.

Gobbi, who made repeated reference to stress, depression and suicide, said he didn't remember much about the incident at China Lion, just that he was tackled on the sidewalk and went to the hospital.

When questioned about his motive or intentions, Gobbi denied targeting a specific person and said, "I highly doubt I was trying to hurt anyone, maybe I was just trying to get attention." He also said, "I think I was looking for someone to shoot me, maybe a cop would drive by and shoot me."

According to a police narrative, Gobbi said during an interview, "If I didn't truly believe that you go straight to hell if you kill yourself, I would have killed myself a long time ago."

In 2001, Gobbi was shot in the chest by his uncle, Daniel Gobbi, during an argument that got out of control. He suffered injuries to his sternum and was in serious condition at the time of the shooting.

Gobbi was arrested in 2007 with a previous residence of 90 Linwood St. for domestic assault and battery and malicious destruction of property.