New Bedford man charged after Marriott hotel shooting

Aug 25, 2024

Three gunshots rang out from a hotel room at the Marriott Towne Place Suites in Wareham just after 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23.

Two bullets whizzed through the hotel room door, narrowly missing two Wareham Police Officers who were there to investigate an earlier report of possible gunshots heard coming from the bogs behind the building, according to a statement from the Wareham Police Department.

After nearly hitting police, those two bullets then flew through a wall into a pool room occupied by two children and one adult. The third bullet lodged in the hotel room door frame. No one was injured.

According to police, the alleged shooter, New Bedford resident Scott Desimas, left his hotel room shortly after firing and was arrested “without further incident.” Police then found a woman and two young children inside Desimas’ hotel room as well as a rifle and a handgun.

The woman and children were “safely escorted from the premises,” said police.

Desimas is being charged with four counts of assault to murder with a firearm, one count of discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a building, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of possessing a firearm without a FID card.

According to a statement, Wareham Police Chief Walter Correia Jr. “commends the responding officers for their quick and decisive actions, which ensured the safety of all hotel guests and staff during this critical incident.”

In the statement Correia also recognized the Marriott staff “for their exemplary efforts and cooperation,” as well as the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Unit for their help.

“The swift and professional response by both officers and hotel staff played a crucial role in preventing any harm and maintaining the safety of everyone involved,” said Correia.

Desimas is being held on $250,000 bail and will appear in Wareham District Court on Monday, Aug. 26 for an arraignment hearing.

According to police, the investigation is still ongoing and has been turned over to the Wareham Police Department’s detective division.