Fernando Jimenez charged with murder and attempted murder in the shooting of the Somers family

Fernando Jimenez, the man suspected of shooting two teenage boys, one fatally, and the boys’ mother, was charged Tuesday evening with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.

During his brief arraignment in Somers Municipal Court, Jimenez, 40, limped slowly to the defense table wearing a blue jumpsuit and a cast on his left arm. Due to the seriousness of the charges, which also include criminal possession of a weapon, Jimenez did not have an immediate opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

At the hearing, Somers Town Judge Michael McDermott ordered Jimenez held in prison pending trial. McDermott also issued two protective orders prohibiting Jimenez from contacting anyone connected to the case, although those names were not publicly released during Tuesday’s hearing.

The high-profile charges carry a risk of life in prison if Jimenez is convicted of a single murder.

Tuesday’s hearing capped a tumultuous 24-hour period for the Somers community. Earlier in the day, authorities identified Michael Raimondi, a 10th-grade student at Somers High School, as the sole fatal shooting victim. He was 15 years old.

More: Police arrest suspect in fatal shooting in Somers after searching the Putnam Valley

Michael’s brother, Matthew, a 13-year-old middle school student from the same neighborhood, was also shot. The boys’ mother, 38, was also shot. As of Tuesday evening, her name had not been released. Both were taken to hospital and were reported to be in critical condition early on, although no update on their condition has been announced.

For hours after the Raimondi family was shot dead in their Baldwin Place home Monday night, police launched a large-scale manhunt to track down Jimenez. Somers residents were on edge for much of the day, with many area schools closed or modified safety protocols by the time of his arrest. He was finally arrested on Tuesday morning.

More: Somers HS student killed in apartment building shooting; brother, mother seriously injured

Asher Stockler is a reporter for the USA Today Network in New York. You can email him at [email protected]. Contact him securely: [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Suspect charged with murder after shooting Somers NY mom and two boys