Inset: Shawn Walker (WBZ/YouTube). Background: Law enforcement officers respond to a shooting on 258 Dudley Street in Boston, Massachusetts (WBZ/YouTube).
In a tragic case unfolding in Massachusetts, a man stands accused of shooting a woman, leaving her paralyzed, in an incident where he allegedly targeted someone else. Disturbingly, just days prior, he reportedly took to social media, expressing an addiction to violence.
Shawn Walker, aged 24, is facing numerous serious charges. Among them are assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious injury, using a firearm during a felony, and firing a gun within 500 feet of a building, as detailed by the Boston Police Department.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of October 8th, as a 25-year-old woman, accompanied by her boyfriend, was leaving a doctor’s appointment. Their walk near 258 Dudley Street in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston took a horrifying turn as gunfire erupted near a liquor store and restaurant, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
In a desperate attempt to avoid the bullets, the couple sought cover. However, as the woman tried to rise, she collapsed, unable to move, having been struck in the back.
Boston police officers swiftly responded at around 4:10 p.m., discovering the woman in distress on the sidewalk, suffering from the gunshot wound. The violent incident also left a nearby restaurant and vehicle damaged, with over 20 shell casings from a 9 mm Luger found scattered at the scene. Footage from Boston’s CBS affiliate WBZ captured the aftermath, showing significant damage, including shattered restaurant windows.
A nearby restaurant and vehicle in the area were damaged in the shooting, per the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. More than 20 discharged 9 mm Luger shell casings were found at the scene, with video from Boston’s CBS affiliate WBZ showing massive cracks in the restaurant’s windows.
The victim was brought to an area hospital where she was treated for a gunshot wound “near her spinal cord, resulting in immediate loss of movement from the waist down,” authorities said.
There was “extensive surveillance footage of the area before, during and after the shooting,” the DA’s office said, and authorities believed they saw the shooter. A gray Hyundai sedan could be seen parking at the intersection of Dudley and another street, and then “the shooter is seen exiting the rear passenger-side door and running toward” the shooting location, “where he takes a shooting stance.”
There was apparently an “intended target,” and he was standing outside the restaurant prior to the shooting. However, according to authorities, he “immediately runs into the restaurant to take cover when he notices the shooter approaching.”
“Multiple projectiles” hit the front of the restaurant, which authorities noted was filled with patrons and employees. “The shooter is seen getting back into the gray Hyundai before it speeds away.”
Another man was also arrested in the case: 23-year-old Devante Stinson. He faces the same three charges as Walker and was arrested on Oct. 23. Stinson is alleged to have been the driver in the shooting. Walker was arrested on Wednesday, the Boston Police Department said.
Authorities said social media helped them in their investigation. Court documents reviewed by WBZ said Walker was a rapper who went by the name “Th$ Lowskii” and had a music video called “Addicted To Killing” posted to YouTube days after the shooting.
Walker had three prior violent and drug crimes on his record, according to the DA’s office.
