Two 18-year-olds Held Without Bail After Shooting Outside Brockton District Court

BROCKTON, Mass. — Two 18-year-old teenagers were ordered held without bond in connection with a brazen daytime shooting that injured two people outside Brockton District Court on Monday, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said .

Antwon Barrett-Smith and Neandro Mendes, both 18, were arraigned on one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a firearm without license, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without a license. an FID card and disorderly conduct, Cruz said.

Mendes was also charged with one count of disturbing the peace.

Prosecutors asked that the men be held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday, July 14.

At approximately 12:30 Monday afternoon, police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an active shooter near the Brockton District Court on Main Street. Court staff saw a scuffle outside the courthouse moments before the shooting.

A man, later identified as Barrett-Smith, was seen brandishing what appeared to be a gun just before the shots were fired, Cruz said.

Antwon Barrett-Smith (Boston 25)

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 37-year-old woman, identified by prosecutors as the mother of one of the teenagers now charged, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg, prosecutors told the court She was taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Police later learned that a second shooting victim, a man, had been dropped off at a nearby hospital.

Barrett-Smith was at the courthouse for other open cases before the shooting, prosecutors said. A fight broke out between Barrett-Smith and others outside the court, including the male victim who was shot.

Surveillance video captured Barrett-Smith reaching into his pocket with his right hand just before the male shooting victim grabbed his leg as he was shot, prosecutors said. Barrett-Smith then ran from the area.

Surveillance video captured Barrett-Smith running from the area with what appeared to be a gun in his hand, prosecutors said. On nearby Maple Street, video captured him crouching behind a white vehicle where officers later located a loaded .40 “ghost” handgun, and investigators also found a spent .40 shell casing in Barrett’s path -Smith.

A short time later, prosecutors said Barrett-Smith returned to the scene of the shooting and was arrested.

Antwon Barrett-Smith (Boston 25)

The brazen shooting had witnesses and pedestrians running from the area and running for cover, prosecutors said, adding that surveillance video captured the midday chaos outside the courthouse in downtown Brockton.

Shortly after the shooting, while on Maple Avenue, investigators found a man allegedly involved in the shooting, who was wearing clothing matching the description broadcast on the police radio. That man, later identified as Mendes, was arrested.

Barrett-Smith just graduated from high school, her defense attorney told the court. He entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, arguing that about five minutes before the shooting, Barrett-Smith had just been to court and gone through security and metal detectors.

Barrett-Smith’s defense lawyer argued his client was not seen discharging a firearm and two guns were recovered and two others fled the scene “that were not Barrett-Smith’s”.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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