On a summer evening in Dighton, Massachusetts, the life of 17-year-old Michael M. Pacheco Jr. was tragically cut short. On June 26, 2018, Michael, a male student at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, was at his home on Forest Street with a group of friends. His family was away on vacation at the time. Among the friends present was 18-year-old Joseph Medeiros of Rehoboth. The group of five was gathered around the kitchen table when Medeiros took out a 9mm handgun.
According to reports, Pacheco urged Medeiros to put the weapon away, and Medeiros initially complied. However, about 20 minutes later, he produced the firearm again. While handling the gun, which he had reportedly bought on the street and was originally stolen, it discharged. A single shot struck Michael, who was sitting across the table. Medeiros later told police, "I accidentally shot my friend," and admitted to "racking the gun and pulled the trigger at the same time."
Emergency services were called to the home around 6:45 p.m., and Michael Pacheco was rushed to Morton Hospital in Taunton. He was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Joseph Medeiros fled the scene, discarding the handgun in a nearby wooded area. He turned himself in to the police later that night. Investigators conducted an extensive search for the weapon.
Joseph Medeiros was arrested and arraigned on charges of involuntary manslaughter, carrying an illegal firearm, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was initially held without bail. The Bristol County District Attorney's Office prosecuted the case, which highlighted the tragic consequences of unlawfully possessing and carelessly handling a firearm. Friends and the wider community mourned the loss of Michael Pacheco, who was remembered as a varsity football player with a great sense of humor and a constant smile.
Ultimately, the shooting was determined to be accidental. In June of 2019, nearly a year after the incident, Joseph Medeiros was sentenced for his role in Michael Pacheco's death. He received a sentence of two and a half to three and a half years in prison. The resolution of the legal case brought a somber conclusion to a devastating event that deeply affected two families and the Dighton community.
