At Killer’s Sentencing, Family Remembers “Wonderful Father”
BOSTON, JULY 28—Family members of a Dorchester man gunned down in 2019 after attempting to keep barbecue smoke from afflicting an asthmatic resident of his complex gave wrenching victim impact statements at the sentencing of the man’s killer today, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
“(Your) act that Tuesday night in May has now left my son robbed, my husband robbed, our entire family robbed of that joy, of that feeling, of that bond, of those everlasting memories. We not only miss Carl, but miss the life we could’ve had, the life we should’ve been able to have. You took all of his future memories from us. You have robbed my family of his light. A light my family needed,” Carl Brown’s daughter-in-law said in a statement read in court by Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins. “I’ll never forget the sound of my husband’s cry that night; it still haunts me to this day. I look at him today and can still hear that agonizing pain, sadness, shock and heartbreak inside of him.”
SHAKEEM MCNEIL, 31, pleaded guilty yesterday to the May 19, 2019, fatal shooting of the 44-year-old Brown. Suffolk Superior Judge Anthony Campo imposed an agreed-upon sentence of 31 to 35 years in prison. McNeil will serve 19 to 20 years on a manslaughter charge, four to five years on a gun possession charge, and eight to 10 years for violating his probation on an earlier case.
On the evening of May 21, 2019, McNeil was grilling 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 ensuing argument, McNeil produced a firearm and shot Brown multiple times in front of Brown’s family.
“I miss having deep conversations and talking in general, spending time together, laughter, activities together, being adventurous. Not being able to talk to my dad when I really need him at hard times, it’s rough and it really hurts,” the victim’s daughter said in another statement read by Higgins.
Carl Brown’s first wife and mother to two of his children delivered her statement in person and described Brown as an “honest, good man” and “wonderful father” who was “full of life.” She summarized the lasting pain of Brown’s homicide by adding that “we have justice, but we will never get Carl back.”
Trauma can have lasting impacts for individuals, families and communities. The Boston Public Health Commission’s Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides access to support through its 24/7 hotline by calling 617-431-0125. The NTT offers immediate support services to those impacted by community violence, referrals for behavioral health services, community outreach and healing groups and a variety of other services.
Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins prosecuted the case. Anite Cetoute is the assigned victim witness advocate. McNeil was 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.