Plymouth man pleads not guilty, held without bail, after double fatal shooting at child’s birthday party; details released

WAREHAM, MA – A Plymouth man pled not guilty Tuesday after a fatal shooting in Carver on Saturday.

According to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, at approximately 7:21 p.m., the Carver Police Department received several 911 calls reporting that multiple people had been shot at 53 Silva Street, the Saint John the Baptist Club, where a child’s birthday party was being held.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene and located four victims, two of which were pronounced dead. One victim was identified as 27-year-old Benjamin Cowart of Brockton who was pronounced dead at the scene. 20-year-old Jalen Pina of Middleborough was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth where he succumbed to his injuries. A third victim, a 28-year-old male, was transported to Tufts Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Another 32-year-old male victim was taken to South Shore Hospital for treatment. 

While on scene, Carver Police located the suspected shooter, 23-year-old Nicholas Meuse of Plymouth, down the street from the Saint John the Baptist Club. Meuse was arrested on scene and transported to the Carver Police Department. 

All parties reportedly knew each other.

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, “Benjamin was deeply loved and will always be remembered for his heart, his spirit, and the impact he had on everyone who knew him. He brought light, laughter, and love into our lives, and his absence has left an ache that can never be filled.”

According to another GoFundMe fundraiser, Pina, whose rap name was Buku Tensai, was a beautiful soul who “slowly matured into what was undoubtedly going to be a man of great stature, a man that would take the shirt of his back for you, a man that put family above all, a man that put others before himself. A man of GREATNESS.”

Court records show that Meuse was held without bail in Wareham District Court Tuesday on two counts each of Murder and Armed Assault with Intent to Murder, and multiple gun charges. 12 charges in total. 

According to WCVB, Meuse called 911 after the shooting and stated that he shot someone in self-defense.

CBS Boston stated that Meuse is the uncle of the 7-year-old boy who the birthday party was being thrown for. He and his brother, the father of the child, had a falling out several years ago and party goers were surprised to see Meuse in attendance. Witnesses say Meuse began shooting once confronted by his brother. The brother was one of the wounded.

According to Plymouth DA Tim Cruz, Meuse claimed to have seen one of the attendees reach for their waistband immediately before the incident, investigators only found a single gun — a 9-millimeter firearm with an obliterated serial number — at the scene.

Meuse has a probable cause hearing scheduled for February 25th.

The investigation is ongoing by Massachusetts State Police and Carver Police.