Prosecutor: Recovered Firearm Matches Murder Weapon

BOSTON, March 12, 2018—The continuing investigation into Chad O’Connor’s homicide has yielded evidence supporting murder charges against two 17-year-olds, and a firearm recovered from a co-defendant’s home last month is a ballistic match with the murder weapon, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

MALIK ALBERT of Dorchester and RODNEY GAMBLE of Lynn were arraigned today in Dorchester Municipal Court today for murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – a shod foot – for allegedly kicking the 17-year-old O’Connor during the Jan. 14 group attack that claimed his life. Dorchester Municipal Court Judge Jonathan Tynes ordered both defendants held without bail.

Under Massachusetts law, all defendants charged with murder are charged as adults.

Assistant District Attorney Catherine Ham of the DA’s Homicide Unit told the court that the investigation into O’Connor’s homicide remained active even after the arrests and arraignments of RISHAARD SHEPPARD and BRANDEN SINGLETON-LEGGET last month. That investigation included video evidence depicting the assailants before, during, and after the attack, and suggests that both Albert and Gamble were among a group that surrounded O’Connor on Kenwood Street at about 5:30 that evening.

The evidence suggests that Albert, Gamble, and Singleton-Legget beat and kicked O’Connor, and that Sheppard shot him. O’Connor suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head, Ham said, and recent ballistics testing has matched the handgun recovered from Sheppard’s home on Feb. 9 to evidence recovered at the crime scene.

Albert and Gamble were represented by attorneys Hank Brennan and Carolyn McGowan. Both will return to court on April 18. Sheppard and Singleton-Legget will return to court on March 14.

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