In the quiet, seaside town of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, the tranquility of a summer afternoon was shattered on June 30, 2026. James Rizza, a 57-year-old man, was found in his driveway on Harbor Road with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services were called to the scene around 3 p.m., and Rizza was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Neighbors and the community were left in shock, describing Rizza as a "hell of a nice guy" and struggling to comprehend the violence that had unfolded in their peaceful neighborhood, a place where such incidents were exceedingly rare.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect, 33-year-old Nicholas Bottella of Fairhaven. A witness to the shooting provided a description of the assailant's red vehicle to a 911 dispatcher. Police soon located a car matching the description and attempted to pull it over, but the driver, identified as Bottella, refused to stop. This initiated a high-speed chase that ended in the nearby town of Marion when police cruisers managed to box in Bottella's vehicle. Bottella was then taken into custody. A passenger in his car was also brought in for questioning.
Authorities later revealed that the fatal encounter was preceded by a "neighborly dispute" between Bottella and Rizza that had occurred about a year prior to the shooting. Following his arrest, Nicholas Bottella was arraigned in Wareham District Court on a charge of first-degree murder, along with a host of other charges, including illegal firearm possession and multiple traffic violations related to the police chase. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was ordered to be held without bail. The case against Bottella is currently pending a probable cause hearing, which was scheduled for the end of July 2026, marking the initial phase of what is anticipated to be a lengthy legal process to bring closure to the untimely and violent death of James Rizza.
