A Virginia man has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter in connection with a shooting that claimed the life of his brother-in-law last year. 52-year-old Riccardy Romain of Chesterfield was found guilty by a Suffolk jury, in a verdict released by the Suffolk District Attorney's office. Romain has also been convicted on firearms charges and an assault count.
Romain's conviction stems from an incident that occurred on July 30, 2023, outside of the Back to the Roots store in Boston. The confrontation began after Romain's juvenile daughter, who was visiting relatives in Boston with her father, told him that she felt uncomfortable due to the actions of an adult male present. An altercation took place which worsened when Jackson Beausejour, Romain's brother-in-law, intervened to calm the situation, DA Kevin Hayden's statement recounted.
In the ensuing chaos, Romain produced a gun and fired it, striking Beausejour in the neck and fatally wounding him. The violence did not cease with the shooting; Romain proceeded to confront the man who made his daughter feel uncomfortable, pointing his weapon at him. The man managed to deflect the gun, only to be struck in the head with it by Romain. The entire sequence was captured on video, showing Romain fleeing the scene with his daughter immediately afterward. Two firearms were recovered when he was stopped by police within minutes of the incident, according to the District Attorney's press release.
In a statement, DA Hayden expressed his sorrow for the events, saying, "This tragic incident began with Jackson Beausejour attempting to defuse an altercation and ended with Mr. Beausejour losing his life, all due to an illegal firearm in the hands of a person too willing to use it, even on a family member." Hayden also conveyed his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Romain is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, next Friday, in Suffolk Superior Court for his crimes.
Though charged and convicted, Romain like all individuals in the American justice system, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The recent jury verdict, however, moves past presumption into the realm of judicial consequence, as the court prepares to sentence Romain for the fatal decisions made that July evening.
