Xavier Barkon

On the evening of August 11, 2022, the life of Xavier Barkon, a 19-year-old Black / African American man from Mattapan, was cut short by gunfire in his Boston neighborhood. Around 8:30 p.m., Barkon was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked blue Mazda sedan on Oak Hill Avenue when he was shot. First responders from the Boston Police Department arrived to find him suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

An investigation into the shooting revealed that Barkon had been in an argument with another Mattapan man, Kamal Oliver. According to prosecutors, Oliver arrived on Oak Hill Avenue that evening driving a red Hyundai Elantra. After arguing with Barkon for several minutes, Oliver walked to the passenger side of the Mazda and shot Barkon once in the chest. Oliver then fled the scene in the Hyundai, abandoning the car near a family member’s home.

Investigators pieced the case together using a combination of video surveillance, witness statements, and forensic evidence. A key breakthrough came from the rental car Oliver had used. The vehicle was a Zipcar, and records linked the rental to an account associated with Oliver’s phone number and bank card, placing him at the scene of the crime.

Kamal Oliver, then 23, was held responsible for the killing. On February 4, 2026, he pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter. Following his plea, Oliver was sentenced to serve 16 to 20 years in state prison. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden thanked investigators for assembling the thorough and compelling evidence in the case. He also extended his deepest sympathies to Barkon’s family and friends, calling the young man’s death "another heartbreak caused by too many guns on our streets and too many people willing to use them." The case was concluded with Oliver's sentencing in February 2026.