Winthrop Man Under House Arrest Following Arraignment
BOSTON, July 5, 2022— A Winthrop man was arraigned today after his arrest for menacing passersby with a realistic-looking replica assault weapon, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
GREGORY GILL, 23, of Winthrop was arraigned this morning in the East Boston Division of Boston Municipal Court on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Assistant District Attorney Amelia Singh requested bail of $2,000 and that Gill be placed under home confinement subject to GPS monitoring; not possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, including replicas; undergo mental health evaluation and treatment; and stay away from, have no contact with and not abuse the identified victims in the case. She additionally requested that Gill be evaluated by a court mental health clinician. Judge Steven Key declined to have a court clinician evaluate Gill in the absence of a request by defense counsel. Key set bail of $500 – the same amount previously imposed by a bail commissioner following Gill’s arrest on Saturday – and imposed the requested orders that Gill remain under home confinement; submit to GPS monitoring; possess no firearms; and stay away from, have no contact with and not abuse the identified victims.
As preparations for Winthrop’s Independence Day parade were underway on Saturday, Gill sat atop a military vehicle in a Revere Street parking lot, pointing a replica assault weapon at passing vehicles. One vehicle was occupied by two victims. As they passed Gill, he pointed the firearm and stated loud enough for them to hear, “Head shot, boom.”
Immediately after the encounter, the victims flagged down a Winthrop Police officer to report the terrifying incident. The weapon was located inside the military vehicle and Gill was taken into custody.
“We just witnessed six people slaughtered as they attended a July 4th parade outside Chicago. At this national moment in America, one can only begin to fathom the terror of seeing an apparent assault weapon pointed at you,” Hayden said. “This incident reminds us that a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands can change lives and communities in an instant. This man’s victims had no reason to believe that the gun trained on them was anything short of the real thing. My office is treating these acts with the seriousness they deserve.”
Gill is represented by Thomas McCarthy.
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.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications