Dorchester man found guilty on firearm charges in 2023 J’Ouvert parade shooting that injured eight sentenced to life in prison

BOSTON, May 7, 2026 – A Dorchester man charged in the 2023 J’Ouvert parade shooting that injured eight spectators was sentenced today to life in prison, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

On April 22, a Suffolk County jury convicted GERALD VICK JR., 33, of carrying a firearm without a license (2nd offense), carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of a large capacity feeding device.

A second jury convicted Vick on one count of possession of a machine gun on Wednesday.

Vick, who was charged as a habitual offender for being convicted of two prior violent crimes, was sentenced today by Judge Sarah Ellis to a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

Vick removed his GPS monitoring bracelet the night before his scheduled trial in December 2024. He fled and was apprehended in Georgia six months later. 

Two other people have been charged in the shooting.

DWAYNE FRANCIS, 31, of Dorchester is charged with carrying a firearm without a license, illegal possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a large capacity feeding device. Francis is scheduled for trial on June 1. 

SEBASTIAN MONTEIRO, 22, of Boston, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, and carrying a loaded firearm without a license. Judge Mark Hallal sentenced Monteiro to four years in state prison with one year of probation to follow. 

Early in the morning on Saturday, August 26, 2023, Boston police officers on patrol at the Caribbean festival noticed two groups of males congregating on opposite sides of Talbot Avenue. The two groups were looking at and pointing at each other. 

The first group was near the parking lot of the Boys and Girls Club.  Members of this group, including Vick, were later identified from video surveillance. Vick was standing at the back of the group, staring intently at the other group with his hands positioned in front of his body.  At one point Vick walked to the front of his group in what appeared to be a show of force to the second group.

The second group stood directly across the street, in front of Always Open Towing.  Investigators later identified Monteiro and Francis as part of this group. Francis was yelling into his phone while staring at the Vick group and grasping something in the pouch of his hoodie.

Shots rang out as officers approached the groups.  Hundreds of people in the crowd ran for cover. Eight people were shot, none fatally, all on the Always Open Towing side of the street.

A total of 20 shell casings and one bullet fragment were located on scene.

Vick was arrested on scene and police recovered a firearm equipped with a sear switch capable of holding 24 rounds. Five of the casings recovered on scene were found to be fired from this firearm.

The entire incident, including the interaction of the two groups and the shooting, was captured on video. 

“This was a brazen, unconscionable act of violence made all the worse by being committed in the middle of one of our city’s proudest cultural events, attended by thousands. I’m grateful for the time and care these jurors took in reviewing all the evidence and testimony before reaching their decision to hold Gerald Vick accountable for his reckless actions,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications