What did Csean Skerritt do? Man charged in connection to Tyler Lawrence death

Csean Skerritt was arrested on Sunday and charged with the murder of a 13-year-old boy in a Boston neighborhood. He is expected to be arraigned for first-degree murder in the next few days.

Tyler Lawrence was fatally shot in Mattapan on January 29, 2023, while taking a walk in his grandmother's neighborhood in broad daylight. While not much is known about the crime yet, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said he believes the shooting was not a random one and that Lawrence was not in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hayden said on Monday:

"We believe that the shooter in this case intended to do what he did."

He added:

"There is still a lot that we do not know about this terrible crime. But we do know that a 13-year-old was gunned down on a city street on an early Sunday afternoon. And we know that a monstrous event has shaken our city to its core."

The Suffolk County District Attorney has urged the public to provide them with any information that will aid the investigation.

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Csean Skerritt was already in police custody on drug distribution charges

According to authorities, on Sunday, a day before an arrest warrant was obtained in connection to the shooting, Csean Skerritt was taken into police custody.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden stated that Skerritt was previously charged with a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl.

Tyler Lawrence's suspected shooter has a long history of criminal records. According to the district attorney's office, the 34-year-old Csean Skerritt was convicted of firearm offenses twice in 2011 and 2014. He was also charged with murder in 2015 but was found not guilty by a jury during a trial in 2017.

Following Csean Skerritt's arrest on Monday, Lawrence's mother, Remy Lawrence, released a statement expressing her gratitude:

"[We are] relieved and grateful that Boston Police and the District Attorney's Office have taken the first steps toward justice for our beloved Tyler, who was taken from us last Sunday morning as he walked near his grandparent's house...

"We would like to thank all of the investigators, the detectives, and the elected officials for their continued support for our family, for their integrity and their persistence. We would also like to thank the Town of Norwood, the Norwood Public Schools, Keisha Desir and all of the family, friends and supporters who came together yesterday to honor and remember our Tyler."

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also expressed her grief at the loss and said that there's "work to do" to ensure the safety of Boston residents.