Burlington shooting suspect charged with attempted murder

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A suspect in a Burlington shooting over the weekend pleaded not guilty in court Monday to charges of second-degree attempted murder.

The Burlington Police say the shooting happened Sunday evening at the Salmon Run apartments off of Riverside Avenue.

Court paperwork reveals Tovi Mesick, 40, of Cambridge, was staying for several days with Stephen Furtado and his wife. Furtado’s wife told police she was on the first floor of the apartment and heard arguing followed by a gunshot and then watched Mesick run off.

It’s not clear what led to this shooting but police say Mesick has a record that includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger says any gunfire in Burlington is concerning and that he applauds the rapid response by police. He also points to steps the city is taking to cut down on gunfire.

“I’ve set up a task force that is looking to fully understand the spike that we’ve seen in recent years and understanding the different elements of it and whether there’s anything further and proactively that can be done to keep these kinds of incidents from happening,” Weinberger said.

Police say that as of Sunday night, Furtado was in stable condition at the hospital in Burlington.

COURT DECIDING WHERE TO PLACE MESICK

The court is also deciding where to place Mesick, who is transgender. During Monday’s arraignment, her attorney noted that paperwork was already underway for the Northwest State Correctional Facility, a prison for men.

Mesick’s attorney wants her placed instead at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in South Burlington.

The Corrections Department says they don’t comment about specific cases before a decision is made but they take into account the inmate’s preference and identity when making decisions about where to lodge them.

“That’s also balanced against the security and safety needs of staff, of other incarcerated individuals, or the individuals themselves -- to ensure that we don’t put them in a placement that would put them at risk or the other incarcerated individuals they would be housed with at risk too,” said Vermont Corrections Commissioner Nick Deml.

The state’s online inmate locator website says Mesick was booked Monday morning at the St. Albans prison but it’s not clear if that’s where she’s staying now.

If convicted, Mesick faces a minimum term of 20 years in prison with the possibility of life.

Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.