In the evening hours of November 16, 2017, the life of 28-year-old Malachi Mims, a Black/African American man from Cambridge, Massachusetts, was cut short in a violent encounter. Around 7:30 p.m., Cambridge Police responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Tremont and Hampshire streets. Upon arrival, they discovered Mims in the middle of the street with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen.
He was quickly transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation that followed revealed the fatal shooting was the result of a drug deal turned robbery. Investigators learned that Mims had arranged to meet two individuals to sell them marijuana. He and another person picked up the two men, and they drove to the area of Tremont and Hampshire streets. At that point, the two men attempted to rob Mims of the marijuana at gunpoint. During the ensuing struggle, Mims was shot. Surveillance video from the area captured two men, one in a black jacket and the other in a teal jacket, fleeing the scene after the shooting.
The investigation led police to identify two teenage suspects from Cambridge. On December 31, 2017, police arrested 17-year-old Kevin Reddick in Boston. A search of Reddick's home uncovered jackets matching the description of those seen in the surveillance footage, and both jackets tested positive for gunshot residue. A fingerprint found in Mims's car also matched Reddick. Further forensic analysis of the teal jacket produced a DNA match to a second suspect, 17-year-old Osiris Chambers, who was already in custody for an unrelated matter.
Both teenagers were charged with murder, armed assault with intent to rob, and firearms offenses. In December 2018, about a year after the shooting, Chambers was arraigned in connection with Mims's death. By August 2020, both Reddick and Chambers had pleaded guilty to their roles in the homicide, bringing a legal conclusion to the case.
