Two Men Held Accountable in Roxbury Murder

BOSTON, March 25, 2022— A jury today convicted one of the individuals who took part in the 2018 fatal shooting of Shaquille Browder, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

Earlier today, a Suffolk Superior Court jury found RALPH BROWN guilty of first-degree murder and firearm offenses. He will be sentenced on Tuesday before Judge James Lang.

A second man pled guilty to his role in the fatal shooting on March 9, 2022, prior to the start of the trial. KYLE WILLIAMS GATHERS pled guilty to manslaughter and assault and battery by discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to a total of 18 to 25 years in prison.

ADA Mark Lee, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Unit, presented evidence and testimony to prove that Brown and Williams Gathers pursued a vehicle driven by Browder and gunned him down on January 11, 2018.  Brown was traveling in a UHaul pickup truck and Williams Gathers was driving a rented Chevy Tahoe as they followed a Toyota Camry – with Browder behind the wheel along with two passengers – to a parking lot on Washington Street in Boston. 

There, Browder backed his car into an empty space.  Williams Gathers stopped his vehicle near the Washington Street entrance.  Another, unidentified man exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots into the back of Browder's car. Browder and one of his passengers attempted to flee, only to find that they had run in the direction of the UHaul truck.  Brown and another unidentified man each fired multiple shots, and Browder collapsed near the vehicle. He had a fatal wound in his back and a nonfatal wound in his right arm.  The surviving victim suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

The evidence showed that Williams Gathers then picked up the first shooter and fled the scene in the Tahoe.  The UHaul truck fled in a different direction.  Cell phone records proved that Brown and Williams Gathers remained in contact throughout their pursuit of the victim; their phone call ended abruptly after the shooting occurred.  Just one hour after the shooting, Williams Gathers returned the rented Tahoe to a dealership in Norwood and traded it for a different vehicle.

Elise McConnell is the assigned victim witness advocate.  Williams Gathers was represented by James Coviello. Brown is represented by Christopher Belezos.  He faces sentencing at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 29, 2022, in courtroom 808 of Suffolk Superior Court.

 James Borghesani, Chief of Communications

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.