Ashlie Jeremie, 27, was sent for a psychiatric evaluation instead of being arraigned after allegedly killing one man near the Boylston T station and striking another with a metal pole — having been freed on $2,500 bail in a federal firearms case on July 6
The man accused of a fatal attack near Boston Common had been arrested earlier this summer for allegedly carrying a loaded handgun into a federal building, court records show. Ashlie Jeremie, 27, of Bedford, Massachusetts, is charged with murder, assault and larceny over two attacks on Wednesday, one of which left an unidentified man dead near the Boylston MBTA station. According to court documents obtained by WBZ-TV, Jeremie had been released on $2,500 bail on July 6 following his arrest in May at the Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Federal Building in Boston.
A loaded gun at a federal building
The earlier case dates to May 18, when Jeremie allegedly attempted to carry a loaded handgun in a backpack into the O’Neill building, WBZ-TV reported. Federal court records from the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts add that prosecutors accused him of entering the building with a backpack containing the loaded weapon and ammunition, which security officers discovered during screening. He was charged federally with possessing a firearm in a federal facility, and walked free on $2,500 bail at the start of July.
Two attacks, four hours apart
Police say the violence on Wednesday began just after 5am at the corner of Boylston and Tremont streets, where Jeremie allegedly attacked a man outside one of the busiest entrances to the Boylston MBTA station before fleeing. The victim, who has not been identified, was rushed to Tufts Medical Center, where he died. Authorities have not disclosed how he was killed, and a pool of blood, a brick and a pair of shoes were visible on the ground in front of the T stop, where investigators photographed the items and sealed them in evidence bags.
Around four hours later, officers were called to Beach Street, a few blocks away, and arrested a man over an assault in which the victim was allegedly struck with a metal pole. That man was later identified by police as Jeremie, and the person he is accused of hitting was taken to hospital; WCVB reported the injuries were not life-threatening. Detectives subsequently linked Jeremie to the earlier attack at Boylston and Tremont and charged him with murder.
The question of motive remains open. Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said investigators do not believe Jeremie and the man who died knew each other, and authorities have described the killing as appearing to be random, according to Boston 25 News, though the inquiry into why it happened continues.
Sent to Bridgewater before any arraignment
Jeremie appeared only briefly in Boston Municipal Court on Thursday. Rather than arraigning him, the judge ordered a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital, and he is being held without bail. The Boston Globe reported that the commitment was made under Massachusetts law to assess whether he is competent to stand trial, meaning the murder charge has not yet been formally entered because the arraignment was postponed. He is due back in court on August 11.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said prosecutors intend to press ahead with the murder case once the competency assessment is complete, with his office stressing that the investigation remains active and further evidence is still being reviewed.
Downtown demands more patrols
The killing has intensified pressure over safety in the city centre. The Boston Police Department said officers would maintain extra patrols around Boston Common and Downtown Crossing while detectives work the case.
Rishi Shukla, co-founder of the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association, wrote to the city last week about rising crime and is now urging a task force he helped establish around 18 months ago to reconvene. Pointing to a stabbing and a homicide in recent days, he said: “We’ve had five people shot over the course of two-and-a-half weeks.” An attack near the Common, he argued, was “not just bad for the neighborhood, it’s bad for the city”, because “what happens in downtown impacts all of our neighborhoods”.
City Councilor Ed Flynn, a member of that task force, echoed the concern. “We don’t have enough police officers. Residents don’t feel safe,” he said, adding that many workers feel the same. Flynn convened a meeting two days ago bringing together residents, city leaders, and local and college police departments, and told WBZ the priorities were securing more police resources and working with the district attorney and the courts on “holding people accountable for their criminal behavior”.
