Hyde Park man arraigned in shooting of 7-year-old

By Brian Ballou, Globe Staff

An 18-year-old Hyde Park man pleaded not guilty today to shooting a 7-year-old who was playing kickball with his friends near his Roxbury home.

Richard Penha was held in lieu of $75,000 cash bail after his arraignment before Judge Edward Redd in Roxbury District Court on charges that included assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery, and various firearms charges, the Suffolk district attorney's office said.

Prosecutors said Penha and another individual were riding in a car down Tremont Street on the evening of June 30 when someone on a bicycle shot Penha. Penha allegedly fired back a short time later, and the little boy was hit.

Penha's attorney, Anthony Ellison, said his client had been incorrectly identified as the shooter.

"But for the grace of God, this was not a homicide," District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement. "While the investigation remains ongoing, we are a step closer to meeting this grave offense with equally grave sanctions."

Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said the crime was a case of gang violence with no regard for the neighborhood, the Globe reports today.

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