Brockton man, 22, identified as victim in Hibachi Sushi Supreme Buffet shooting

BROCKTON — A man was fatally shot inside a sushi restaurant on the city's East Side on Friday night, officials said.

Police responded to Hibachi Sushi Supreme Buffet, at 718 Crescent St. inside the Brockton East Shopping Plaza, about 7:25 p.m. for a reporting of a shooting. A police spokesperson said the shooting happened inside the restaurant and left a male victim with life-threatening injuries.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, where he died, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said.

The victim has been identified as Joe Araujo, 22, of Brockton.

"Preliminarily, the victim appears to have been the target, and this was not a random act of violence," the DA's office said.

Customers told Enterprise news partner WCVB-TV that someone wearing a mask walked into the restaurant and then shot the victim. Customers said the suspect then quickly left the restaurant.

No one else was injured in the shooting and no arrests have been announced.

Satish Patel, who works inside the same shopping plaza at a liquor store next to the restaurant, said the place is normally very busy and safe.

"We've been here the last, what, 9, 10 years, I don't think I've seen anything like that," he said.

The investigation remains ongoing by Brockton police and State Police detectives assigned to the Plymouth County DA's office.

Enterprise senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com.