Alleged Boston July 4 Shooter Caught On Video, Held Without Bail

BOSTON, MA — The man police believe shot and killed 34-year-old Deondra Lee on July 4 was held without bail Tuesday after nearby video surveillance footage led police to arrest him for the murder of Lee near Dudley Square that night.

Michael Carleton, 32, of Mattapan was arraigned on one charge of murder on July 4 of 34-year-old Lee, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Masai King, Judge Lisa A. Grant ordered Carleton held without bail.

King told the court that Lee was among a group gathered near the intersection of Dacia and Brookford streets near Dudley Square shortly before 10 p.m. on July 4 when the passenger of a car allegedly driven by Carleton opened fire on the group. The shooting was captured by a public safety camera. The video shows the vehicle circle the block before the shooting and slow as the passenger opens fire.

“Public safety camera footage was absolutely critical in building this case,” Conley said. “It helped investigators identify the car and, we allege, the person driving it. Because drive-by shootings leave so little in the way of physical evidence, cameras like these are powerful tools that can make the difference between solved and unsolved shootings.”

Lee was struck by the gunfire and transported to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

A short time later, Boston Police officers located a car matching the description of the one used in the shooting abandoned in a Dudley Street parking lot. The car was registered to a person associated with Carleton, and Boston Police criminalists matched fingerprints on the driver’s side door and gear shift to those of Carleton.

Security camera footage from before, during, and after the shooting corroborated the print identifying Carleton as the driver, King told the court. Based on that evidence, Boston Police took Carleton into custody this morning.

“The investigation into Deandre Lee’s homicide remains very active,” Conley said. “We ask anyone with additional information, no matter how minor it may seem, to share it with investigators at 617-343-4470.”

If you find yourself needing to talk to someone about distressing events in your community, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at (617) 431-0125 or by visiting BPHC.org/trauma.

“I want to thank the work of my detectives for their efforts to quickly identify and apprehend the suspect who was wanted in connection to this senseless act of violence. We continue to seek the public’s help as the investigation moves forward, but it is my hope that word of this arrest brings some small measure of comfort to the friends, family and loved ones of Deondra Lee," said Commissioner Bill Evans.

Previously: Fatal Shooting On July 4

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