Shawn Spiker was a 34-year-old father, brother, and painter who loved fishing, camping, and live music. Raised in Pennsylvania by a single mother, the White male moved to New Hampshire’s Upper Valley about a decade before his death and was the father of a 14-year-old son. His brother remembered him as having a kind heart. "He had his demons," his brother said, "but he didn’t do anything to bring this upon himself.”
In the early hours of October 14, 2024, the quiet of a Vermont
mobile home park was broken by gunfire. At approximately 12:45 a.m., Vermont State Police responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at the Kneeland Flats Mobile Home Park in Waterbury Center. Inside one of the homes, they found two men who had been shot. Shawn Spiker, a resident of Croydon, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide. The second victim, 57-year-old Michael S. Perry of Waterbury, was critically injured and transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment.
Investigators with the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit determined that the shooting was an isolated, targeted event and that the two victims were acquaintances. They assured the public there was no broader threat. According to court documents, the investigation revealed the shooting was allegedly over a $140 drug debt.
The investigation quickly led to arrests. On October 19, 2024, police took Fabrice Rumama, 20, of Springfield, Massachusetts, into custody. A few days later, they arrested a second suspect, 18-year-old Samuel Niyonsenga, also from Springfield. Rumama was initially charged with second-degree murder, and Niyonsenga was charged with aiding in the commission of second-degree murder. No one has been charged in the shooting of Michael Perry.
As the case proceeded, prosecutors updated the charges. Rumama faced an additional charge of aiding in the commission of second-degree murder, while Niyonsenga’s charges were upgraded to include second-degree murder. Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges. After weighing the evidence presented by the state, a judge ordered both Rumama and Niyonsenga to be held without bail pending trial. As of October 2024, the case was moving through the court system.
