Rev. Harrison, three others arraigned in connection to March shooting

Reverend Shawn O. Harrison and three other men were arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday morning in connection to an execution-style shooting on March 3.

Harrison, a popular Dean at English High School in Jamaica Plain, was a vocal anti-gang activist who strongly supported the city’ gun buyback programs, is said to have lured a 17-year-old student to his apartment on Pompeii Street in Roxbury with the promise of girls and marijuana. While walking on Magazine Street, prosecutors say he shot the young man in the back of the head and fled. The victim suffered serious injury, but was able to flag down a passer-by and was taken to Boston Medical Center.

The charges state that the victim was working with Harrison to sell marijuana and that his sales numbers were not satisfactory. Harrison arraigned for a student to jump his associate at school on the same day of the shooting.

Police interviewed the victim, who told them that Harrison was the gunman. Police recovered surveillance tapes from nearby local businesses and arrested Harrison after an interview. Harrison claimed that he had never associated with students outside of school hours and that no student had ever been to his house.

Police then obtained a warrant for the contents of Harrison’s phone and found a text message to the victim asking to meet up at 7 p.m. on the evening of the shooting. Other text messages included pictures of marijuana and guns. While Harrison was being interviewed, police observed three men leave his apartment. They were detain, charged and arraigned as well.

After obtaining a warrant, police found a rifle, a shotgun, ammunition and a large amount of packaged marijuana. They also recovered clothing matching the attire seen in the surveillance video, including a jacket and a pair of gloves, which tested positive for gunshot residue. Police also reported finding a large Latin Kings mural painted on the inside of Harrison’s home. Harrison and the other men observed were noted to have “100” tattooed to them in red ink, which is a common gang tattoo. Despite combing the area, Boston Police were unable to recover the weapon used in the shooting.

Harrison is charged with armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a shotgun, unlawful possession of a rifle, and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute.

Dante Lara, 24, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition and a high-capacity magazine. Oscar Pena, 23, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a second offense, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. Wilson Pegurero, 23, was charged with possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute. All men pled not guilty to their respective charges.

The trial is set to begin on February 23, 2016.