A teen was arraigned today in Charlestown BMC on firearm charges stemming from a shooting earlier this month in which 14 rounds were fired, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
David Riley, 19, was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity feeding device, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and possession of a Class E substance.
Judge Lisa A. Grant ordered Riley held on $7,500 bail and that he wear a GPS tracker if released, with a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Riley will return to court on October 19.
At 12:24 a.m. on September 10, two suspects were observed fleeing in a white Audi A4 after 14 shots were fired in the area of McNulty Court . The vehicle sustained significant damage, causing the suspects to flee on foot. The vehicle, registered to an individual named David Riley, remained in the parking area near 17 Carney Court, with broken windows and flat tires.
On September 24, officers on patrol in the area of Thompson Square observed a white Audi A4 with the same license plate as the vehicle from the night of the shooting, parked in front of the 7-11 at 140 Main Street. Officers observed the windows and flat tires to be fixed and approached the vehicle. Officers immediately identified the individual in the driver seat as Riley. Officers observed Riley to be nervous. Officers ordered Riley to exit the vehicle and located under the driver’s seat a black semi-automatic 9mm Polymer 80 firearm with a light attachment with one round in the chamber and 13 rounds in the magazine. Officers also found a green pill, which they believed to be Xanax, in the center console.
Hayden praised police for taking “another high-capacity weapon capable of tremendous damage” off the street, and also praised Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston City Council for their actions to address the presence of illegal firearms and their flow into the city, but said the issue demands attention and effort beyond government and law enforcement.
“Only when we reach the understanding that gun violence is an epidemic afflicting all of society will we be on the right track to engage the forces necessary to squarely address what we’re seeing. Those forces have to extend beyond police and prosecutors and judges. There has to be a full-front effort from community groups, civic leaders, the business sector, ministers and elected officials on the state and federal level. If we engage only when a gun is confiscated—or worse, used in a crime—we’re not nearly being effective enough,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.