Carl Brown, a 44-year-old father of two, was killed on May 21, 2019, after a dispute with his neighbor over a barbecue at their shared duplex on Millet Street in Dorchester. Brown had approached his neighbor, Shakeem McNeil, to complain about grill smoke that might affect an asthmatic resident and to make sure hot coals would not be dropped; the exchange escalated and McNeil produced a firearm and shot Brown multiple times in front of family members. Brown was taken to Boston Medical Center and pronounced dead.

Police located McNeil, 31 and from Dorchester, hours later at a motel in Brockton and arrested him. He was initially charged with first-degree murder; the first trial ended in a mistrial and McNeil later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. On July 27, 2022, a judge imposed a sentence that included 19 to 20 years for manslaughter, plus consecutive terms for the firearm offense and a probation violation. Family members described Brown as a decent, humane man who died trying to protect a neighbor’s health.

Did anyone in Dorchester witness the confrontation or see the vehicles that left the scene that evening?