In the early morning hours of October 17, 2017, the life of 22-year-old Joshua Briggs, an African-American male, was cut short in a violent encounter inside a room at the Holiday Inn Express on Boston Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Briggs was fatally shot during what investigators have described as an armed robbery and home invasion.
The events leading to the tragedy reportedly began with a dispute earlier in the night. Several individuals, later identified as suspects, were present in the hotel room with Briggs and others but were removed by hotel staff following a fight. In the pre-dawn hours, at approximately 4:15 AM, these individuals allegedly returned, this time with at least one other person, and forced their way into the room. Their intent was to rob the occupants of cash, jewelry, and firearms they believed to be in the room. During this armed confrontation, Briggs sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of four men in December 2017: James Coleman, 26, John Collins, 24, Errin Crawford, 29, and Michael Reynolds, 24. A Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted them on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and armed home invasion. A fifth suspect, Randy Cannon, 26, who was also known as "Randy Boy," turned himself in to authorities in April 2018. He faced the same charges as the other men. The investigation suggested that at least two of the men were armed and that all five played a role in the robbery that led to Briggs's death.
