Brother of victim held after shooting
Said he handled gun, police say
The teenage half brother of the boy who was accidentally shot to death in his Roxbury apartment was taken into custody yesterday by the Department of Youth Services based on information gathered during the shooting investigation.
Police would not say whether Jayquan McConnico, 15, was taken into custody on a probation violation in connection with the death of 8-year-old Liquarry Jefferson or on another matter.
However, a police official with knowledge of the investigation told the Globe Tuesday that McConnico admitted to handling the gun fired by Liquarry's 7-year-old cousin as the boys played late Sunday. The illegal 9mm semiautomatic handgun was later found stashed in a stairwell.
Elaine Gadson, McConnico's grandmother, said yesterday that her family members, who lied to police in the early hours of the investigation by blaming armed intruders for the boy's death, had received promises from police and DYS that McConnico would not be taken into custody until after Liquarry's funeral, if at all.
"They told us this was not going to happen, but they broke their word," Gadson said in a telephone interview. "We knew something was coming down the pipeline, but they told us that Jayquan would be free to go to the funeral."
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll declined to comment on Gadson's account .
Gadson said she spoke with McConnico after he was taken into custody and "he's doing OK, but he doesn't understand it, why they arrested him."
She said authorities told the family that McConnico was detained for a probation violation involving an assault about 18 months ago when he and his mother allegedly beat a woman in front of the family home.
Gadson, who told the Globe Tuesday that Liquarry was shot in McConnico's bedroom, would not answer questions about McConnico and the gun.
Jennifer Kritz -- a spokeswoman for the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees both the Department of Social Services and the Department of Youth Services -- said privacy laws prevent from her from discussing McConnico's DYS history or the agency's home monitoring of him before the shooting. In general, youths can be taken into custody for any illegal activity in their home that is in violation of their probation, not just their own actions, she said.
"We are evaluating him and looking into his role, if any, in the circumstances of the death of his brother," Kritz said of McConnico.
Kritz also said Liquarry's mother, who was receiving support from DSS, was last visited by agency workers on May 24.
The Rev. William E. Dickerson II , pastor at Greater Love Tabernacle in Dorchester, said he and other clergy are trying to help Liquarry's family cope.
"It's just an unfortunate tragedy that definitely stunned our community," he said.
Brian Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com. Suzanne Smalley can be reached at ssmalley@globe.com. 