20-year-old man sentenced to prison in Fall River Superior Court for shooting at man walking his dog

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, III has announced that a 20-year-old New Bedford man has pled guilty and was sentenced in the Fall River Superior Court to serve a sentence of 3 years in State Prison followed by 2 years of probation for charges of Carrying a Firearm, Carrying a Loaded Firearm and Attempted Assault and Battery by Firearm. 

On April 24, 2024, victim Armani Reyes was walking his dog in the area of Deane and Coffin Avenue in New Bedford.  On video in the area, a hooded individual, who is walking, fires five rounds in the direction of the victim.  The hooded male whose face was covered fled the scene.  The five rounds were registered on the Shotspotter detection system.   City cameras in the area show the shooter pacing a few blocks away from the shooting location, ten to fifteen minutes prior to the shooting.  The suspect’s face was not covered at that time.  A family member was able to identify the shooter as depicted on video as Josiah Sweeney.  Police knew the defendant and victim to be from rival gangs in New Bedford. 

” This is yet another example of senseless violence involving rival gang members that endangers the community and continues to contribute to the violence in our communities,” District Attorney Tom Quinn said.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shawn Guilderson.