BOSTON, May 31, 2018—A former school employee who held himself out as an anti-violence clergyman has been found guilty of attempting to murder a student he had recruited to sell marijuana, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SHAUN O. HARRISON, 58, faces sentencing tomorrow morning after a Suffolk Superior Court jury today found him guilty of armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, and two counts each of unlawful possession of a rifle or shotgun and unlawful possession of ammunition. Jurors deliberated for approximately one day before returning the verdicts.

During the course of the week-long trial, Assistant District Attorneys David Bradley and Kevin McCarthy introduced evidence and testimony to prove that Harrison was employed as Dean of Academies at English High School from January through March of 2015 and used his position of trust to ingratiate himself to an at-risk 17-year-old student he was assigned to work with. Rather than help the young man, the evidence proved that Harrison instead enlisted the victim to sell marijuana for him.

Displeased with the victim’s sales, Harrison first arranged for the victim to be assaulted at school on March 3, 2015, then texted him to meet near Harrison’s Pompeii Street apartment that evening, cell phone records proved. Surveillance cameras captured footage of the two walking together on Magazine Street when Harrison fell behind the victim and raised a gun, firing one shot into the back of the victim’s head that traveled to his cheek. The victim collapsed and Harrison fled.

The victim was able to stand and flag down help. He was transported to Boston Medical Center, where he identified Harrison – using the self-styled reverend’s nickname “Rev” – as the person who shot him.

“This defendant presented himself as a man of faith dedicated to helping young people,” Conley said. “Instead he exploited his position to earn the trust of vulnerable youth and prey on them,” Conley said. “He betrayed the victim and he betrayed the community he claimed to serve. It was only by sheer luck that the victim survived this attempted execution to identify Harrison for what he is – a violent predator and a fraud.”

During the course of their investigation, Boston Police detectives searched Harrison’s apartment and a storage unit at the address, where they located a large amount of marijuana, a rifle, a shotgun, a firearm, and several rounds of ammunition – including those of the same type and caliber used to shoot the victim. Articles of clothing matching those worn by the shooter was also recovered and tested positive for gunshot residue, the evidence proved.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin McCarthy second-chaired Bradley at trial. Jennifer Sears is the DA’s assigned victim witness advocate. Harrison is represented by Bruce Carroll. Sentencing before Judge Christopher Muse is scheduled to take place at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow in courtroom 806 of Suffolk Superior Court.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.