Jaivon Blake, a 16-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on Sunday, September 25, 2011, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. On that Sunday afternoon, Jaivon and his 14-year-old friend, Kamani Elliot, were near a convenience store on Geneva Avenue. The tragic events that unfolded were the result of a deadly case of mistaken identity rooted in gang conflict.
Two members of a gang called Flatline, 18-year-olds Nyasani Watt and Sheldon Mattis, were seeking retaliation against a rival
gang. Earlier that day, Mattis had a brief encounter with Jaivon's younger friend, who had asked him to buy rolling papers. Based on this interaction, Mattis incorrectly concluded that the teenager was a member of the rival Geneva Avenue Gang. He then met up with Watt and they planned the attack. Mattis allegedly encouraged Watt to carry out the shooting.
As Jaivon and his friend walked away from the store, Watt, riding a bicycle, approached them from behind and opened fire with a. 40 caliber handgun. Jaivon was struck by a bullet that severed his liver and spinal cord; he died a few hours later at Boston Medical Center. His 14-year-old companion was also shot and wounded but survived his injuries. The shooting was described as a premeditated and cold-blooded act, as the two victims were targeted simply because their assailants believed they belonged to a rival gang.
Following an investigation, Boston police arrested both Nyasani Watt and Sheldon Mattis in November 2011. They were each charged with murder, assault, and possession of a firearm. When Watt was arrested at his Dorchester home, he was found to be in possession of a loaded. 38 caliber handgun. Both men were held without bail and were eventually convicted of first-degree murder in 2013. Watt, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Mattis, who was 18 at the time, received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. However, in January 2024, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered a new trial for Watt, citing the fact that his lawyer had been sleeping during key parts of the original trial.
