Salem Shooting Victim Was Denied Help: Mother

SALEM, MA — Salem police said Monday the investigation into an Aug. 10 shooting on Palmer Street near Mary Jane Lee Park that left an 18-year-old man with serious injuries is ongoing. No arrests have been made and police have released few details on the shooting. Vincent Emilio Roman was taken by helicopter to a Boston-area hospital after being shot around 1:30 p.m.

"There isn't any update at this point on the investigation," Salem Police Capt. Frederick Ryan said Monday. "Our detectives are working with other law enforcement agencies."

In an email, Roman's mother, Lee Mary Rivera, said her son and a friend asked for help at a Palmer Street business and from a taxi driver who she believes witnessed the incident and refused to bring her son to the hospital. Patch has reached out to the business owner and the taxi cab company for comment and will update this story when we hear back.

"He kept on asking, 'Please just call the ambulance,' but they kept kicking him out. When my son got out to the front of the store his friend went" to the taxi driver, Rivera said. The friend "asked if he could bring them to the hospital, that he will pay. But [the taxi driver] said no. His friend was begging him."

It was the second shooting in as many weeks in Salem. On Aug. 5, an 18-year-old woman from Everett was injured in a weekend shooting on Chase Street in Salem.

Rivera said her son grew up in the Salem Point neighborhood.

"I'm heartbroken," she said. "And can not believe that these inhumane individuals refused to help my son. How would you feel if this happened to your child."

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).