DA: Taking selfies, fooling around with gun resulted in teen’s death in Hub hotel
A group of young adults “partying” and “taking selfies” while fooling around with a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol in a Boston hotel this past winter ended in the death of a teenage girl who was shot in the head, the DA said.
Seventeen-year-old Nalijah Andrade was killed that night, Feb. 4, at the Hyatt Regency Boston, officials say.
“The bullet struck the victim in the head, killing her,” the DA said.
Messiah Leggett, 21, of Mattapan, was arraigned Monday on charges of involuntary murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, the Suffolk DA’s office said.
Judge Diane Freniere set $25,000 bail and ordered that he remain under home confinement, be subject to GPS monitoring and not leave the state.
The DA added a second man, Kenny Jnleys, is set to be arraigned Oct. 5 on firearm offenses in connection with the fatal shooting.
“At age 17, Nalijah should have been preparing for all the rites of passage that young people experience — prom, senior year of high school, touring colleges. Instead, her family was forced to bury their beloved daughter because of the reckless actions of others,” Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.
“We can never give her family back what they’ve lost, but we will hold accountable the individuals responsible for her death and ensure that Nalijah’s loved ones and those impacted by her death have the support and resources they need and deserve,” the DA added.
The two men and four “juvenile females,” the DA’s office said, were in the hotel rooms “partying, drinking and taking selfies — including photos of members of the group posing with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that Jnleys allegedly had in his possession.”
That’s when Andrade “swatted at his hand, causing (Leggett) to accidentally discharge a single round of ammunition. The bullet struck the victim in the head, killing her.”
As the Herald reported at the time, reports included some leaving the hotel and crossing Boston Common right after the shooting. Other hotel guests were also shocked by the shooting.
Leggett is due back in court Oct. 21.