BOSTON, May 6, 2015— The former Boston Public Schools employee who allegedly shot a 17-year-old student in the head for the teen’s lackluster marijuana sales made his first appearance in Superior Court today after his indictment on gun, drug, and attempted murder charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
SHAUN O. HARRISON (D.O.B. 6/9/59) of Roxbury was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a shotgun, unlawful possession of a rifle, and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. At the request of Assistant District Attorney David Bradley of the DA’s Senior Trial Unit, Clerk Magistrate Anne Kaczmarek set bail at $400,000 and ordered him to wear a GPS monitor and stay away and have no contact with the victim or witnesses in the event he is released on bail.
Also arraigned today were DANTE LARA (D.O.B. 2/3/91), accused of unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and high-capacity magazine; OSCAR PENA (D.O.B. 10/16/95), charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a second offense, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute; and WILSON PEGUERO (D.O.B. 6/30/91), charged with possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. Kaczmarek imposed $25,000 bail for Lara and Pena and $1,000 for Peguero.
Bradley told the court that Harrison, who at the time was employed at English High School in Jamaica Plain, had recruited the 17-year-old English High School student to sell marijuana. When Harrison became dissatisfied with the teen’s sales, he allegedly arranged for another student to attack the victim at the school, Bradley told the court. Later that day, Harrison met the victim and began walking with him, remaining behind the victim as they went. When they arrived in the area of 100 Magazine Street, Harrison pulled out a firearm and shot the victim in the back of the head before fleeing.
The victim was able to flag down a passerby for help and was transported to a hospital. Though seriously injured, he was able to identify Harrison as the man who shot him. Surveillance cameras in the area corroborate the victim’s account of the incident, prosecutors said.
Boston Police detectives arrived at Harrison’s Pompeii Street apartment building and observed three men – later identified as Lara, Pena, and Peguero – exiting the building’s front door. Believing that the men may be removing evidence from the apartment, detectives followed the men and stopped them on Massachusetts Avenue. Lara and Pena were both in possession of firearms, and Pena and Peguero were both found to be carrying multiple baggies of marijuana that appeared to be packaged for individual sale. Harrison and several of the men leaving his building were found to have red “100” tattoos on their arms, Bradley said.
A search of Harrison’s apartment and storage facility at the Pompeii Street address revealed a large amount of marijuana, a rifle, a shotgun, a firearm and several rounds of ammunition – including rounds that were of the same type and caliber as that used in the attempted murder. Detectives also recovered clothing consistent with that worn by the gunman; those articles of clothing tested positive for gunshot residue, Bradley said.
Harrison is represented by Michelle Brennan, Lara by Arnold Abelow, Pena by Otto Santana, and Peguero by James Greenberg. All return to court June 18.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
