On a late spring morning in Boston, the life of 37-year-old Ivanildo Barros, a Black / African American male, was cut short by gunfire. The fatal encounter unfolded around 11:50 a.m. on Friday, May 28, 2021, in the Dorchester neighborhood. Boston Police officers from District B-3 responded to a call for a person shot in the area of 590 Park Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Barros suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect. The day after the incident, on Saturday, May 29, 2021, members of the Boston Police Department's Youth Violence Strike Force arrested 46-year-old Nickoyan Wallace of Dorchester. Wallace was subsequently charged with the murder of Ivanildo Barros and was expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
The motive for the shooting appears to have stemmed from an argument. On the day of the murder, Barros was involved in a dispute with Nickoyan Wallace's brother outside of 77 Spencer Street. During this argument, Wallace appeared, produced a firearm, and began shooting at Barros. A chase ensued, leading to the backyard of 590 Park Street, where Wallace shot Barros multiple times, including twice in the head.
In June 2024, a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted Nickoyan Wallace, then 49, of first-degree murder for the death of Ivanildo Barros. The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Wallace chose to represent himself during the trial. It was not his first time facing a murder charge; years prior, he and his brother Timi were charged with the 2000 murder of their other brother, Tasfa. However, the charges against Nickoyan Wallace in that case were dismissed due to a violation of his right to a speedy trial.
