Brockton police arrested Charles Ednerson, 27, last weekend after the fatal stabbing of Ronald Perceval in the small city of Fitchburg, in northern Worcester County.
While attending a small gathering with friends, Charles Ednerson allegedly stabbed 40-year-old Ronald Perceval in the presence of his wife and child.
The victim was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Mr. Perceval had recently arrived in the United States under the humanitarian parole program (CHNV).
The incident occurred early Tuesday morning, September 16, 2025, on Chester Street, according to WCVB.
The suspect, Charles Ednerson, 27, a resident of Brockton, was arrested a few hours later at his home on Winter Street.
Brought before a judge on Wednesday, Ednerson was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for next week.
According to the police report cited by WCVB, the alert came in around 5:27 a.m. Officers found the victim gravely injured with multiple wounds consistent with a bladed weapon. He was transported to a local hospital but did not survive. His identity had not yet been made public at the time of reporting.
Timeline of events
The precise sequence of events surrounding the attack remains unclear.
Investigators have not confirmed whether the altercation took place inside the apartment or on the street. The two-story building, divided into apartments, quickly became the scene of intense police activity as neighbors, awakened by the commotion, tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Preliminary findings suggest the case was not a random act. Police emphasized: “The individuals involved were known to each other.”
A neighbor, Laura Lowrey, described to WCVB a night filled with unusual noise: “At about 3:30 a.m., I heard a woman and a man arguing. At first, I thought it was a party that had been going on for quite a while, and I couldn’t fall back to sleep. But about a quarter to 5, it got louder, and then I heard a police cruiser, a fire truck and an ambulance show up.”
Another resident, Samantha Wilkey, who lives above the apartment where the attack took place, also gave her account: “Just the commotion. That was about it. Then we looked out. The cops were already there. I went back to bed. It just sounded like a lot of moving around in the house and yelling. But I don’t know what they were saying at all.”
Wilkey noted that the occupants had moved in about a year ago but that she did not know them personally.
Judicial proceedings
The suspect, Charles Ednerson, now faces a dangerousness hearing.
This procedure, provided under Massachusetts law, allows prosecutors to request that an individual deemed too risky for the community be held in custody pending trial.
According to information provided by police and reported by WCVB, Ednerson has been charged with “murder with a bladed weapon and making terrorist threats.” If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation of the Fitchburg Police Department, working with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, is leading the investigation. For now, authorities remain cautious and have declined to specify the exact motive for the attack.
News of the killing has sent shockwaves through Fitchburg, a working-class city of nearly 42,000 residents, already grappling with several violent incidents in recent months.
On Chester Street, several residents voiced their fears. One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “You always wonder if this kind of tragedy could happen to you too. We’re afraid to open the door.”
The rise in violent crime across the region has fueled debate over public safety. Local neighborhood groups are calling on city authorities to increase police presence and implement preventive measures.
A recurring phenomenon
While the brutality of the case is striking, it reflects a broader trend. Fitchburg, like other mid-sized cities in Massachusetts, faces social pressures marked by poverty, housing insecurity, and the circulation of illegal weapons.
According to figures from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Worcester County has seen an 18% increase in violent crime since 2022. Homicides, though less common than in larger cities like Boston or Springfield, have risen at an alarming pace.
The use of knives is particularly notable in domestic incidents and disputes between acquaintances — a context that appears consistent with the Chester Street case.
For residents, the silence of judicial and police authorities has been difficult to accept. No local government or police officials had yet spoken publicly as of Wednesday evening.
Neighborhood groups and religious leaders in Fitchburg are calling for transparency and concrete measures to restore trust. One community leader summed up the sentiment: “Fear must not become the norm. People need to feel that they are protected.”
On social media, the alleged perpetrator, Charles Ednerson, has been described as a Haitian immigrant who recently arrived in the United States. However, local police have not released any information regarding his immigration status.
A family member of the victim confirmed to CTN that he recently arrived in the United States through the CHNV program.
Fitchburg is home to a large Haitian immigrant community, where the tragedy has resonated deeply.
https://ctninfo.com/?p=36938&preview=true
Source: WCVB
Correction Notice
The text has been edited to correct the identity of the victim. His name is Ronald Perceval, not Gaëtan Perceval as originally reported. We apologize to Mr. Gaëtan Perceval and his family for this error.
