Tragedy struck following a 2021 homecoming football game in Everett as Michael J. Stanton, now 22, has been convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Craig McDonald Jr., an announcement confirmed by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Everett Chief of Police Paul Strong. According to a report by Middlesex District Attorney's office, the confrontation that led to McDonald's untimely death stemmed from a conflict on social media, escalating to a point where Stanton and his friends tracked and then followed McDonald from the game, where they ultimately took his life.
The night of October 22, 2021, saw the Everett Police Department responding to a 911 call reporting gunshots around Revere Street and Second Street, and mere moments later, receiving notification that Craig McDonald Jr. had already been transported to CHA Everett Hospital Emergency Department with a fatal gunshot wound, he was pronounced dead shortly after by authorities at the hospital. McDonald's murder, which has been identified as a "senseless tragedy" by District Attorney Ryan, highlights the undercurrents of youth violence and the illicit possession of firearms in communities across the nation.
In the aftermath of a three-week trial, Stanton, who was 19 at the time of the shooting, faces sentencing scheduled for today, October 2, in the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, as per Justice Laurence Pierce's courtroom schedule. The Assistant District Attorneys involved in this sobering case were Carrie Spiros, Andrew Ineson, and Tim Ferriter, along with Victim Witness Advocate Susan Marshall, this team worked diligently to ensure the wheels of justice turned, despite the cold nature of street-borne disputes turning deadly.
Further legal proceedings await Luiz Perlera, Stanton's co-defendant, who faces trial for his alleged involvement in McDonald's murder, with the date set for October 23, 2024, also to be held in the Middlesex Superior Court. The Everett and Massachusetts State Police have jointly investigated the case, laying bare the grim reality of a young life cut short and the consequences faced by those who partake in an all too common narrative of gun violence "This case is an example of the dangerous trend of young people illegally possessing firearms and using them to perpetrate violence in our communities" District Attorney Ryan recalled, a sentiment that echoes the sentiments of communities nationwide beset by the specter of firearm-infused aggression.
