Fall River woke up Saturday to the grief that no family should ever know. Late Friday night, at a modest home on Barnes Street, 25-year-old Nicholas Almeida and his mother, 54-year-old Elizabeth Almeida, were found shot and badly hurt after a 911 call came in for a possible shooting just after 8 p.m. Friday.
By the time police and paramedics reached the house, Nicholas and his mother were already in the grip of life-threatening injuries. Neighbors watched in disbelief as both were rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors fought to save them, but by early Saturday morning both had been pronounced dead.
Fall River Police, working with detectives from the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, quickly turned their attention to a man they found at the scene. Investigators say 54-year-old Arlington Cole, who had been in a dating relationship with Elizabeth Almeida, was at the house when officers arrived and was taken into custody without a struggle. A firearm was also recovered, officials said.
Authorities say Cole has been charged with two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. Those charges reflect the severity of the violence investigators believe took place at the home on Barnes Street. The case is now in the hands of prosecutors, with more details expected as the investigation continues.
For many in Fall River, the tragedy hits especially hard because it wasn’t random violence — it was a mother and her adult son, known in the neighborhood as quiet, everyday people with friends, jobs, and families. Nicholas had plans and dreams, and Elizabeth was someone who loved fiercely. Their sudden deaths have left a silent ache in the hearts of neighbors and loved ones.
Across the city, people are reacting with shock and sorrow. Community members left flowers and notes near the scene on Barnes Street, expressing grief that feels too big for words. Many are asking why such a terrible thing could happen in a quiet part of town, and how two lives full of promise could be cut short so quickly.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward, and the investigation remains active. Meanwhile, friends of the Almeida family are remembering Nicholas and Elizabeth not as headlines, but as a son and mother who mattered deeply to the people who knew them.
