A man was shot after an argument with demonstrators at a pro-Israel rally in Newtonville Thursday night, according to police, and the shooter was arraigned Friday in Newton District Court.
The incident is the latest in a series of clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian supporters in Newton in the 11 months since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel and during the subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Newton police have reported a spike in antisemitic activity. Ribbons and photos of Israeli hostages have been vandalized and destroyed.
A group of pro-Israel protesters disrupted a Newton Teachers Association rally for state representative candidate and City Councilor Bill Humphrey last month. This spring, a group of pro-Israel protesters disrupted a Palestinian art exhibit at the Newton Free Library.
On Thursday, things escalated to violence.
What happened
According to police reports, there was a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered near the intersection of Washington and Harvard streets.
A man named Caleb Gannon, 31, of Newton, started arguing with the demonstrators from across the street and accusing them of supporting genocide against Palestinians.
Arguing escalated and, according to police and witnesses from that night, Gannon ran across the street and tackled pro-Israel demonstrator Scott Hayes, 47, of Framingham, to the ground. Hayes then allegedly shot Gannon.
“Newton Police were called to the scene where medical aid was rendered, and the man was transported to an area hospital where he remains at this time,” Newton Police Lt. Amanda Henrickson wrote in a statement Friday.
Someone posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), showing the altercation and the shooting.
The charges
Hayes was arrested at the scene and arraigned in Newton District Court Friday afternoon, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.
Gannon is expected to survive, and he’ll have to face criminal proceedings, too. He’s being summonsed as well, Henrickson’s statement notes, for assault and battery because he jumped on and physically beat Hayes before Hayes shot him.
Gannon was not arrested Thursday night because, according to state law, assault and battery is not an arrestable offense unless a police officer witnesses it.
Hayes was arraigned Friday and bail was set at $5,000. Hayes is ordered to be at home between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., stay way from Gannon and stay away from the city of Newton. He’s also not allowed to possess firearms while out on bail, and his license to carry in Massachusetts is suspended.
Hayes’s next court date is set for Nov. 7.
The fallout
The shooting has rocked Newton to its core.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller sent an email statement to residents Friday evening thanking police and EMTs for their quick response.
“I encourage all of us to be calm, speak civilly, and act respectfully,” Fuller wrote.
Ward 2 City Councilor David Micley sent an email statement to supporters saying he was glad Gannon was given medical help and will be OK and, like Fuller, cautioned that the city needs to calm down.
“I’m saddened that this series of events happened and continues to unfold right here in Newton. And I’m hopeful that as individuals, each of us can take the responsibility to be kinder, more caring, and more considerate of one another, and to remember that we are all neighbors,” Micley wrote. “In moments like this I am reminded how fortunate we are to live in a true democracy in Newton, in Massachusetts, and in the United State of America. I am grateful for our policies, that we have separation of powers, and that we have a legal system where defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty to a jury of their peers.”