On a cold January evening in Boston, a young life was tragically cut short in a burst of violence. Chad O'Connor, a 17-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally attacked on January 14, 2018. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the vicinity of Kenwood and Washington streets in the city's Dorchester neighborhood. O'Connor was reportedly set upon by a group of individuals in what has been described as a group attack.
During the assault, he was both beaten and shot.
The investigation into O'Connor's death led to arrests in the following weeks and months. On February 9, 2018, Boston Police took two 18-year-old Dorchester residents, Rishaard Sheppard and Branden Singleton-Legget, into custody, charging them with murder. Prosecutors allege that Singleton-Legget kicked O'Connor during the group assault, while Sheppard is accused of firing the fatal shot to his head. Authorities stated that a handgun recovered from Sheppard's home was the same caliber as the weapon used in the homicide. Video evidence reportedly implicated both Sheppard and Singleton-Legget in the crime.
The search for justice did not end there, as investigators believed others were involved in the attack. In March 2018, two more teenagers were arrested in connection with O'Connor's murder. A 17-year-old from Lynn and a 17-year-old from Dorchester were taken into custody. These additional suspects were identified as Malik Albert and Rodney Gamble. They were also charged with murder for their alleged roles in the fatal beating and shooting. Prosecutors indicated that video evidence also implicated Albert and Gamble in the assault. All four suspects were subsequently held without bail.
