A 21-year-old man was arraigned in Lowell District Court Thursday, accused of shooting three people Wednesday night in the parking lot of a convenience store, Lowell police said.
Chanphakdae Thang of Lowell faces three counts of armed assault with intent to murder, as well as firearms charges, the Middlesex district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Lowell police said two groups of people encountered each other outside the Tedeschi convenience store at 494 Bridge St. around 11 p.m. Wednesday.
An argument broke out between two people, one of whom was physically assaulted, police said.
Thang, who was with the victim of the attack, pulled out a handgun and started shooting, police said.
Thang allegedly shot three people, one of whom was taken by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds. Police said the victim in the Boston hospital is in stable condition and the two other gunshot victims were treated at Lowell hospitals and released.
Police said they are trying to determine whether the meeting was arranged or a chance encounter.
Thang was ordered held in lieu of $40,000 cash bail. He is due back in court Sept. 26 for a probable cause hearing.
A second man, Shane Downs, 31, also of Lowell, was arraigned on a charge of disturbing the peace and released on personal recognizance. Authorities would not comment on what his alleged role was in the episode.
The investigation is ongoing, officials said.