On the evening of October 30, 2023, 14-year-old Madden Gouveia was fatally shot while sitting in the front passenger seat of a parked car on North Street in Bristol, Vermont. Four youths were in the vehicle shortly after 7:00 p.m.; witnesses say the group, which included 18-year-old Mason Bullock and two juveniles, were passing around a 9mm handgun that Gouveia had reportedly brought.

A 14-year-old, Hussein Mohamed, who was seated behind Gouveia, took possession of the gun and witnesses reported it discharged, sending a single bullet into Gouveia’s back. First responders arrived around 7:20 p.m.; Gouveia was transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center and pronounced dead later that evening. Initial statements to police falsely described a drive-by shooting, but inconsistencies — including an intact rear window — led investigators to a different account. The handgun was recovered on the lawn and its magazine hidden inside the nearby residence.

The next day authorities arrested Mohamed; the Addison County State’s Attorney charged him as an adult with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and aggravated assault. Mohamed pleaded not guilty and was released to his parents under strict conditions after a hearing. Does anyone have information about who was present that night or about the handgun’s origin?