Teen shot 3 people at Hampton Beach, led officers on chase before arrest, police say

HAMPTON, N.H. — A teenager is facing a slew of criminal charges after police say he opened fire at New Hampshire’s Hampton Beach, wounding three people before leading officers on a chase that ended 30 miles away.

Divaris Ojani Ruiz, 18, of Manchester, is charged with four counts of first-degree assault with a firearm and four counts of reckless conduct, according to a Hampton Police Department affidavit.

Officers responding to numerous 911 calls for reports of shots fired in the area of 333 Ocean Boulevard around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday spotted the suspected shooter fleeing the scene in a black Ford Mustang with a smashed rear window, police said.

Witnesses at the scene told officers that the suspect opened fire from his vehicle, shooting five to six rounds as he drove along Ocean Boulevard, according to the affidavit.

Investigators scoured the area and found one victim, hiding between two parked cars and suffering from a gunshot wound to his left foot. They later learned that two other people, one suffering from a gunshot to the right foot and another with two bullet wounds to their buttocks, were undergoing treatment at Seabrook Emergency Room.

New Hampshire State Police informed Hampton police just before 10:30 p.m. that Ruiz had led Brentwood and Epping police on a pursuit that ended in Deerfield, where authorities issued a brief shelter-in-place order.

Ruiz initially fled the scene on foot, but a Deerfield resident spotted him in his yard, directed police to his location, and he was taken into custody, Deerfield Police Chief Gary Duquette told Boston 25 in a statement.

A juvenile passenger in the vehicle was also detained, according to authorities. Their name is not being released and it’s unclear if they will face any charges.

Police said a 9mm semi-automatic Glock-style firearm was recovered from the Mustang Ruiz was driving.

In addition to the charges filed by Hampton Police, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire State says they are charging Ruiz with reckless operation and disobeying a police officer.

An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.

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