In the early evening of March 22, 2025, a burst of violence outside a bustling shopping area in Brockton, Massachusetts, tragically cut short the life of 15-year-old Tymari Albertson, a Black male. The incident unfolded around 7:00 p.m. in the parking lot near the Chipotle and Starbucks at the Westgate Mall. Reports indicate that an altercation preceded the fatal shooting.
First responders arrived to a chaotic scene, discovering two victims with gunshot wounds.
Tymari was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other victim, 18-year-old Cevannah Alvarez, was flown to a Boston hospital where she also succumbed to her injuries. The two were not related. Albertson was a student at Champion High School within the Brockton Public Schools district, which released a statement expressing deep sadness over the loss of a student to community violence.
In the days following the shooting, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office identified 22-year-old Davinci Leonard of Brockton as the suspect. An arrest warrant was issued, charging him with two counts of murder, as well as several firearms offenses. Investigators, including Massachusetts State Police and Brockton Police, pieced together the events through witness interviews and surveillance footage. Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a fight between Leonard and Albertson in the parking lot.
Leonard was quickly added to the Massachusetts State Police's most-wanted list, with law enforcement describing him as potentially armed and dangerous. Authorities also indicated that Leonard might have altered his appearance, possibly by cutting his hair, in an effort to evade capture. A firearm was reportedly discovered in some bushes near the scene of the shooting as the investigation continued. As law enforcement actively searched for him, the community mourned the senseless loss of two young lives.
