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.
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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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