Avis Medrano, 23, of Charlestown, was arraigned in Somerville District Court on charges of carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of ammunition and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.  Alexis Gonzalez, 20, of Charlestown was also arraigned on the same charges. Somerville District Court Judge Maurice Flynn released the defendants on personal recognizance with conditions that they stay away and have no contact with witnesses, stay one-quarter mile away from Gilman Street in Somerville and possess no dangerous weapons or firearms.  A juvenile was also arraigned in the matter in Cambridge Juvenile Court.

The defendants’ next court date is February 20 for a pretrial hearing.  The juvenile’s next court date is February 27 for a pretrial hearing.

According to authorities, on January 7, at approximately 9:05 p.m., they responded to a report of shots fired on Gilman Street, a residential area in Somerville.  Officers learned that there was a white Subaru allegedly leaving the scene.

It is alleged that as officers approached the area, a cruiser on patrol observed a car matching the description driving away with no headlights on.  As the cruiser pulled in behind the vehicle, the car took off at a high rate of speed.  There was a brief pursuit of the car before the occupants bailed out and fled on foot. Somerville Police, with the assistance of Medford Police and State Police, established a perimeter and three suspects were located within a short time hiding in nearby neighborhood yards.  A loaded firearm was recovered from a back yard in close proximity to where the suspects were found and a magazine with ammunition was found in the Subaru.

Following an investigation, including interviews with witnesses, these defendants were charged.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing.

These charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Somerville Police Department, with the assistance of the Medford and State Police departments.

The prosecutors who arraigned these cases were Assistant District Attorney Lila Palmer and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Minue.