Guilty Plea in 2019 Fatal Shooting

Victim Impact Statements Tomorrow at Sentencing

BOSTON, July 27, 2022—A Dorchester man pleaded guilty today to fatally shooting his neighbor, 44-year-old Carl Brown, during an argument in 2019, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

The trial of SHAKEEM MCNEIL, 31, on charges of first-degree murder and firearm offenses was scheduled to begin this week after his first trial earlier this summer ended in a mistrial.  McNeil instead chose to plead guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Brown’s homicide.  Suffolk Superior Court Judge Anthony Campo sentenced McNeil to 19 to 20 years in state prison on the manslaughter charge and a consecutive term of four to five years on the firearm offense.  He faces an additional term of eight to 10 years in prison after he was found in violation of his probation on an earlier matter.

Brown’s loved ones will have the opportunity to deliver victim impact statements during a continuation of the sentencing hearing tomorrow morning.

On the evening of May 21, 2019, McNeil was present with a group as he grilled outside the victim’s side of a duplex home. Brown approached McNeil to ensure that he did not drop coal on the ground and that the smoke from the grill did not impact another resident of the building who suffered from asthma.  During an argument over the grill, McNeil produced a firearm and shot

Brown multiple times in front of the victim’s loved ones.

McNeil immediately fled the scene in a black SUV, and his wife fled in a second vehicle.

The victim was transported to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Boston Police located McNeil at a Brockton motel and placed him under arrest.

“Carl Brown’s humanity and decency led him to protect an asthmatic resident from potentially harmful smoke, and for that he was shot.  This guilty plea ensures that the man who killed Carl Brown is held accountable, but it does not give Mr. Brown’s survivors what they truly want and deserve: to have their loved one back at their side. My office is here to support this family as they continue to grieve his loss,” Hayden said.

The case returns to court at 10 a.m. tomorrow in Courtroom 907 of Suffolk Superior Court. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins of the DA’s Homicide Unit.  Anite Cetoute of the Homicide Unit is the assigned victim witness advocate.  McNeil is represented by Attorney Elliot Levine.

          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 legal 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.