http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/05/23/news/news/news06.txt

By Maureen Boyle, Enterprise staff writer

BROCKTON — Bill Quinn knew the gunfire was close by.

He didn't realize how close until he looked out his window and saw a car pulling away and a police cruiser pulling up seconds later.

“I thought a bullet was going to come through my glass window,” the 64-year-old man said.

As police Tuesday tried to learn who shot an 18-year-old Brockton man to death outside the Campello high-rise apartments, residents in the Main Street complex housing elderly and handicapped residents say the killing so close to home is unnerving.

“People are afraid,” said Ethema Mars, one of the residents.

John P. Lima, 18, of Huntington Street was fatally wounded when, witnesses said, he was shot by a gunman who walked up to the car he was driving and opened fire Monday night.

The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said Lima appeared to suffer multiple gunshot wounds.

Witnesses said the car carrying Lima pulled into the lot at 1380 Main St. about 11:30 p.m. Monday, apparently trying to elude people in at least one other vehicle who were firing upon it.

Lima's vehicle struck an abutment near the entrance of one of the buildings and what appeared to be a man got out of the other vehicle, walked up to the car and opened fire, witnesses said.

The suspect then returned to the car, which sped off.

“He took off like a bat out of hell,” said Quinn, who saw the car leave.

Paul Wetterholm, 56, said the gunfire was loud.

“It sounded like a machine gun,” Wetterholm said.

Lima was taken to Brockton Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A second person in the car, whose name was not released, received minor injuries.

The slaying is the fifth in the city so far this year. None of the cases appear to be related.

Frank Peters, who lives in the high rise, said he grew up in Brockton and is not surprised by the shooting so close to home.

“If I didn't hear gunshots once a week, I'd be surprised,” he said.

Maureen Boyle can be reached at mboyle@enterprisenews.com.