Outpouring of Support for Clark Family After Shooting

Friends took to the internet, sidewalk and even a concert hall to honor a beloved mentor gunned down near his Main Street skateboard shop Tuesday afternoon.

Shawn Clark, 36, of Saugus, died at Melrose/Wakefield Memorial Hospital after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds during an attack at Malden's Patriot Skateboards.

Witnesses at the scene reported hearing multiple gunshots and finding Clark, well-known to his neighbors, lying on Main Street and bleeding from his stomach.

Beyond that, details of the attack remained scarce Thursday. Neither the Middlesex District Attorney nor state or local police have divulged details of the attack, citing an on-going investigation.

Friends, protégés and customers remember Clark

As mourners wait for answers, some have taken to holding candlelight vigils, both outside of Clark's store in Malden and at a former location in Saugus.

Jimmy Nigro, a participant in the Saugus vigil, said he met Clark three years ago, and that his “words of wisdom and fearlessness” left a powerful impression.

“Shawn was a mentor to us; we genuinely looked up to him,” Nigro said. “His reputation of being a saint to us kids will always be carried with us, because in times of trouble I'll still think to myself 'what would Shawn do?'”

Others took to social media to memorialize Clark, with the Patriot Skateboards Facebook page filled with condolences. Even more shared their grief on Twitter, or on Malden Patch's Facebook page.

“This is a picture of my daughter,” Maryann Connors Chappell shared. “Shawn helped her pick out her first skateboard at his shop. I didn't know much about him other than the fact that he was nice to a little girl who wanted to learn to skate....may he rest in peace.”

Patch reader AnnieOMalden wrote a blog post Wednesday honoring her son's own experiences with Clark. 

"Unlike other store owners who just want their money, he cared about them. And they knew it and felt it," she wrote. 

Clark's wife, Melissa Finn Clark, also took to the Facebook page to thank the community for their support.

“I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming outpouring of thoughts, prayers, offers, etc.,” she wrote. “It means a lot.”

How you can help

­A memorial fund has been established for Clark's wife and two young children, who reportedly had no life insurance at the time of the attack.

Residents are encouraged to give whatever amount they can to: The "Friends of Shawn Clark" fund at Eastern Bank on 738 Broadway in Everett.

Donations will also be accepted at Eastern Bank locations in Malden and Saugus.

In terms of exposure, the fund has had some early success: a post sharing the information on the Malden Patch Facebook page had over 60 shares early Thursday morning, with at least two business owners offering to leave a collection plate out in her store.

Friends of Clark are also organizing a benefit concert in Worcester's Hotel Vernon on Feb. 22, though organizers continue to finalize the details.

Information about memorial services was not immediately available Thursday.