The Framingham man police say shot someone at a pro-Israel rally last week was also at the Newton Teachers Association rally in support of City Councilor Bill Humphrey’s bid for the 12th Middlesex state representative seat.
Scott Hayes, 47, was demonstrating at a pro-Israel rally at the corner of Washington and Harvard streets on Sept. 12 when, according to police reports, Caleb Gannon, 31, of Newton, began yelling at the rally demonstrators and engaged in a physical altercation with Hayes. Hayes then allegedly shot Gannon in the abdomen.
Hayes is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, and Gannon, who was taken to a hospital, was summonsed for assault.
On Aug. 30, the Newton Teachers Association held a rally in support of Humphrey’s candidacy in the Democratic primary for the 12th Middlesex seat, and several pro-Israel protesters showed up carrying signs accusing the NTA and Humphrey of being antisemitic (due to the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s stated opposition to the Israeli military operation in Gaza and because Humphrey didn’t sign a letter to the Boston Globe condemning a “mapping project” that mapped out Jewish organizations across Massachusetts and accused them of hurting Palestinians).
Video footage from that rally shows that among the demonstrators was Hayes, who can be seen filming the disruption.
It’s unknown if Hayes had a gun at the NTA rally.
At that NTA rally, the demonstrators yelled “nazi” and “terrorist” at Newton teachers, many of whom are Jewish.
Hayes has built a name for himself as a right-wing agitator who seeks out protests against Israel’s military operation in Gaza to “dox” (post their personal information on social media to send them trouble) them and yell insults.
His X account, which he started last December, consists mostly of photos and videos of him traveling around Massachusetts confronting rallies and people he claims are anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian.
One post compares an overweight woman at a pro-Palestinian rally with Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
He has photos of a woman at a pro-Palestinian rally, with text calling her a “rabid self-hating Jew.”
Another shows a photo of Dallas Mavericks player Kyrie Irving, who has espoused antisemitic conspiracy theories, wearing a keffiyeh (a head scarf typically worn by Middle Eastern men) after the Mavericks lost to the Celtics in June with the text: “Just more proof that anyone who wears a keffiyeh is a natural born loser!”
His entire account, which he started last December, is dedicated to attacking pro-Palestinian activists and left-wing people in general.
One photo, posted on May 19, shows a gun with the text: “Hey Jew haters. Bring it.”
