BOSTON — The man charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old inside a Boston hotel earlier this year was arraigned Monday, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins.
Messiah Leggett, 21, of Mattapan, was arraigned on charges of involuntary murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
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Another man, Kenny Jnleys, was also charged with firearm offenses in connection with the shooting and will be arraigned in October.
His bail was set at $25,000 and was ordered to remain under home confinement, be subject to GPS monitoring and not leave the state of Massachusetts.
According to Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kettlewell, Leggett, Jnleys four juvenile females, including the victim, 17-year-old Nalijah Andrade, and others were in adjoining rooms at the Regency Boston on Feb. 4.
The group was partying, drinking and taking selfies, including members of the group posing with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol that Jnleys allegedly had in his possession, according to the findings of the investigation.
Around 11:30 p.m., Leggett was allegedly handling the gun in a “playful manner” when Andrade swatted at his hand, causing him to accidently fire the weapon.
Andrade was shot in the head and was killed.
“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,” Rollins said in a statement. “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.”