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Murder suspect among 6 in court on firearm charges this week, Suffolk DA says

Murder suspect among 6 in court on firearm charges this week, Suffolk DA says
9-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO REPORTEDLY ESCAPED THROUGH THE TRUNK. INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH. TODAY, SUFFOLK DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN HAYDEN IS CALLING FOR MORE TO BE DONE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL TO REGULATE GUNS. IT COMES AFTER SIX NEW FIREARM ARRAIGNMENTS IN THE LAST WEEK. HAYDEN SAYS ILLEGAL GUNS FROM STATES WITH LOOSER GUN LAWS ARE BEING BROUGHT INTO STATES LIKE MASSACHUSETTS. IN A STATEMENT TODAY, THE D.A. SAYS QUOTE, OUR PATCHWORK APPROACH TO GUN PURCHASING REGULATIONS, WHICH DIFFERS SO BROADLY FROM THE UNIFIED APPROACH IN OTHER INDUSTRIALIZ
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Murder suspect among 6 in court on firearm charges this week, Suffolk DA says
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden is reiterating his call for more strict nationwide gun purchasing regulations after six people, including a murder suspect and a teenager, were arraigned in the county on firearm charges within the past week.Hayden said Sunday through a news release that more stringent standards will help address the flow of illegal guns from states with lax purchase rules into states with tighter buying regulations, including Massachusetts."Our patchwork approach to gun purchasing regulations — which differs so broadly from the unified approach in other industrialized nations — needs serious revision, because it is damaging neighborhoods and destroying lives," Hayden said in a statement.Among those arraigned within the last seven days is 33-year-old Stephen Freeman, who was charged Friday with murder and multiple firearm offenses in connection with the Feb. 18 shooting death of 27-year-old Terrell Banks. Banks was fatally shot in front of Slade's Bar & Grill on Tremont Street in Roxbury.Freeman was ordered to be held without bail and is scheduled to return to court on April 20 for a probable cause hearing. Watch the video in the player below to see NewsCenter 5's report on the Feb. 18 deadly shooting in Roxbury.Jared Roach, 18, was arraigned Monday in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court for carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Roach's bail was set at $2,500 and he has been ordered to return to court on May 18 for a pretrial hearing.Tordan Defoe, 33, was arraigned Wednesday in East Boston BMC for possession of a large-capacity firearm, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, assault and assault with a dangerous weapon. A judge set Defoe's bail at $15,000 with home confinement.Rasheed Avinger, 29, was arraigned Monday in Dorchester BMC for carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Avinger's bail was revoked on a separate open matter from New Bedford and the judge in his case ordered $10,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on April 6 for a pretrial hearing.Devonje Williams, 23, was arraigned Wednesday in Dorchester BMC on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, a second offense of carrying a firearm without a license, a second offense of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and firearm violation with one prior violent crime or drug offense. A judge ordered Williams to be held without bail pending an April 12 dangerousness hearing.Kenneth Madden, 26, of Reading, was arraigned Thursday in Chelsea District court on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Madden was ordered to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 22. His bail on a separate open firearm case out of Cambridge was also revoked.Last year, Hayden's office released data showing that most illegal guns seized in Suffolk County over the course of 2021 came from Maine, New Hampshire, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Guns were also traced to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. According to that data, 271 of the 441 traceable guns seized in Boston that year (61%) originated in those nine states; 67 originated in other states (15%); and the remaining 103 originated in Massachusetts (23%).

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden is reiterating his call for more strict nationwide gun purchasing regulations after six people, including a murder suspect and a teenager, were arraigned in the county on firearm charges within the past week.

Hayden said Sunday through a news release that more stringent standards will help address the flow of illegal guns from states with lax purchase rules into states with tighter buying regulations, including Massachusetts.

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"Our patchwork approach to gun purchasing regulations — which differs so broadly from the unified approach in other industrialized nations — needs serious revision, because it is damaging neighborhoods and destroying lives," Hayden said in a statement.

Among those arraigned within the last seven days is 33-year-old Stephen Freeman, who was charged Friday with murder and multiple firearm offenses in connection with the Feb. 18 shooting death of 27-year-old Terrell Banks. Banks was fatally shot in front of Slade's Bar & Grill on Tremont Street in Roxbury.

Freeman was ordered to be held without bail and is scheduled to return to court on April 20 for a probable cause hearing. Watch the video in the player below to see NewsCenter 5's report on the Feb. 18 deadly shooting in Roxbury.

Jared Roach, 18, was arraigned Monday in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court for carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Roach's bail was set at $2,500 and he has been ordered to return to court on May 18 for a pretrial hearing.

Tordan Defoe, 33, was arraigned Wednesday in East Boston BMC for possession of a large-capacity firearm, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, assault and assault with a dangerous weapon. A judge set Defoe's bail at $15,000 with home confinement.

Rasheed Avinger, 29, was arraigned Monday in Dorchester BMC for carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Avinger's bail was revoked on a separate open matter from New Bedford and the judge in his case ordered $10,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on April 6 for a pretrial hearing.

Devonje Williams, 23, was arraigned Wednesday in Dorchester BMC on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, a second offense of carrying a firearm without a license, a second offense of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and firearm violation with one prior violent crime or drug offense. A judge ordered Williams to be held without bail pending an April 12 dangerousness hearing.

Kenneth Madden, 26, of Reading, was arraigned Thursday in Chelsea District court on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Madden was ordered to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 22. His bail on a separate open firearm case out of Cambridge was also revoked.

Last year, Hayden's office released data showing that most illegal guns seized in Suffolk County over the course of 2021 came from Maine, New Hampshire, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Guns were also traced to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. According to that data, 271 of the 441 traceable guns seized in Boston that year (61%) originated in those nine states; 67 originated in other states (15%); and the remaining 103 originated in Massachusetts (23%).