FITCHBURG — At approximately 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, Fitchburg police responded to a report of a shooting in the area of Mechanic Street.
According to Captain Matthew LeMay of the Fitchburg Police Department, when officers arrived on scene, they found a 63-year-old Fitchburg man suffering from a gunshot wound.
The victim was transported to a Worcester-area hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead.
Jonathan Reyes-Contreras, 42, of New Jersey, was arrested today in connection with the fatal shooting, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office announced at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Reyes-Contreras has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
Officials say the preliminary investigation indicates that this was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
“The initial investigation suggests that the two parties were known to each other,” the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “There is no danger to the public at this time.”
The case is being investigated by the Fitchburg Police Department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation in coordination with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Reyes-Contreras is scheduled to be arraigned in Fitchburg District Court on Monday.
