Boston’s recently held Caribbean-American Carnival which was meant to be a joyful gathering, was marred by gun violence, and news outlets across the country have begun to share the unfortunate story.
The incident left eight people nursing gunshot injuries and hundreds of festival-goers sent scrambling for cover.
Boston Judge Jonathan Tynes could not conceal his irritation as he encountered his fourth case of the day, all tied to the incident.
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Multiple suspects facing charges, families plead innocence
According to reports, among those in court was 21-year-old Maceo Withers-Brewer, whose visibly emotional mother sat in attendance.
The judge underscored the tragedy of such young individuals being implicated in serious criminal activities.
In a separate case, the family and attorney of 30-year-old Dwayne Frances argued his innocence, saying he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
According to family accounts, Frances was trying to be a good citizen.
His mother said he works for a private security company and had discovered a firearm at the scene, which he intended to hand over to the police.
“He thought he was doing the right thing by walking to police and telling them he found a firearm, and that was it, and instead they threw him in handcuffs,” she said.
Other arrests cast shadow over festival
The police also arrested 31-year-old Gerald Vick and 21-year-old Sebastian Monteiro, who suffered a gunshot wound.
Reports are that an unidentified 17-year-old was also taken into custody.
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