A “heated argument” between two men at a B Street home led to the city’s second murder of 2020, according to Cranston Police.

Charles Gangi, 73, of 17 B St. has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of his girlfriend’s son, 41-year-old Paul Zois, Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist announced in a statement Dec. 29.

Gangi is additionally charged with discharge of a firearm resulting in death, assault with a dangerous weapons and discharge of a firearm in a compact area. He was ordered held without bail following his Dec. 30 arraignment in Third Division District Court, with a next scheduled appearance of Jan. 7.

According to Winquist’s statement, police received an emergency call from the B Street address – where the victim lived with his mother, aunt and Gangi – at 2:39 p.m. on Dec. 29. The caller advised that someone had been shot.

Officers arriving at the scene found Zois unconscious with apparent gunshot wounds. Fire Department personnel rushed him to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Mr. Gangi was at the residence when officers arrived and stated he was responsible for the shooting,” according to Winquist’s statement. “He was immediately detained and returned to Cranston Police Headquarters in furtherance of the investigation. A court-authorized search warrant was obtained to search the residence for physical evidence. Two handguns were seized, including one handgun believed to be the murder weapon.”

The statement continues: “It is alleged Mr. Zois and Mr. Gangi were engaged in a heated argument inside the residence, at which time Mr. Gangi retrieved a handgun he owned from a nearby room and shot Mr. Zois in the chest. Mr. Zois’s mother and aunt were home when the shooting occurred and fortunately were not injured.”

“I wish to commend the Patrol Officers and Detectives who investigated this homicide,” Winquist said in the statement. “Their collective efforts resulted in the swift apprehension and charging of the suspect. Unfortunately, a menial argument resulted in a loss of life, especially during the holiday season.”

In a statement posted on social media, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence wrote: “We are heartbroken by the devastating loss of Paul Zois, who was killed in a domestic violence homicide. We send our deepest condolences to his loved ones, and the entire Cranston community forever impacted by this heinous act of violence.”