Pawtucket Drive-By Shooting: Man Sentenced To Prison

PAWTUCKET, RI — A Pawtucket man accused of firing a rifle from an SUV at people in a city driveway has been sentenced to prison after declining to contest a litany of charges. Jayquan Parker, 26, appeared in Providence County Superior Court where he pleaded no contest to charges that stemmed from his role in a drive-by shooting on Jefferson Avenue in Pawtucket, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today.

Prosecutors say that on April 7, 2020 Parker drove to Jefferson Avenue, stopped his SUV in front of a home, and fired what is believed to be a semi-automatic rifle. It was alleged that Parker fought with several people in the middle of West Avenue then returned in a rented Chevrolet Tahoe. He stopped in front of a home across from Payne Park and fired at least 22 times towards the driveway, missing two people who were standing nearby. Bullets struck a parked vehicle and garage. The rifle used in the shooting was not recovered.

“Last April, Mr. Parker had quite a day," Neronha stated in a media release. "Deciding to be a street fighting man wasn’t enough. He then returned to the scene with a semi-automatic rifle and with one goal in mind, to injure others by shooting at them, or worse. It’s time for Mr. Parker to spend plenty of time in a place where he can’t hurt others.”

The Pawtucket Police Department used video surveillance footage to find Parker and assisted in the investigation. “There is no place in our community for senseless gun violence,” stated Acting Police Chief Tina Goncalves. "The Pawtucket Police department will always be committed to serving and protecting our diverse community.”

Parker pleaded nolo contendere to committing a drive-by shooting, assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence not resulting in injury, possession of a firearm after a conviction of a crime of violence, possession of a loaded rifle in a vehicle, and vandalism. On Feb. 26, Judge Kristin E. Rodgers sentenced him to 20 years at the ACI with 10 years to serve and the balance suspended with probation. The court stayed execution of Parker’s sentence until today.

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