New Bedford Halloween Rampage Shooter Gets 15-20 Years in Prison

NEW BEDFORD — A New Bedford man who went on a shooting rampage that seriously injured two people on Halloween weekend in 2018 will serve 15-20 years in state prison, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

Joshua Perry, 28, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court on June 28 to a variety of armed assault charges and one drug possession charge after four separate shootings in October 2018 in which two people were seriously injured.

Just after midnight on October 28, 2018, police responded to the first shooting at 865 County Street in which a 29-year-old man and his 26-year-old girlfriend said they were watching TV in their first floor apartment when thirteen bullets struck without warning.

No injuries were reported, but police said that several bullets had traveled through the apartment, damaging walls and windows.

Three young children were asleep in the apartment at the time.

According to police, the defendant's sister and her boyfriend lived in the apartment upstairs.

The sister later told investigators that her brother had shown up without warning and that he was "not himself," with mood swings that led to him eventually pulling out a gun and emptying the clip into her neighbor's apartment.

Perry then left and spent a little over an hour with three friends at the Slainte Bar, according to the D.A.'s office.

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He and his friends left the bar and got into his friend's white Mercedes.

On School Street, Perry left the car, encountering and shooting at a 24-year-old man and his 22-year-old girlfriend who were driving down the street after a Halloween party.

The couple told police that they saw a man in a distinctive shirt walk towards them waving his arms, who then shot at the car three times when the driver swerved around him.

Neither of the victims was injured but the car sustained damage.

Perry then left his friend's car again on County Street to yell at a pair of young men before shooting at them.

According to the D.A.'s office, one of the victims was shot multiple times in his stomach and leg, sustaining serious and lifelong injuries in the attack.

He was in the hospital for more than a month and required a colostomy bag and long-term rehabilitation.

The other young man was shot twice and also sustained serious injuries.

Both victims survived.

After the shooting, the defendant drove himself and his three friends to one of their apartments, where according to the D.A.'s office he shot several rounds into the air.

New Bedford Police were alerted to the gunshots through Shot Spotter and discovered shell casings and the white Mercedes on scene.

Perry was taken into custody with a large knife, a small amount of marijuana, and a large bag with 14 grams of cocaine in his possession.

Two subsequent search warrants led to authorities recovering high-capacity firearms and/or feeding devices.

Perry pleaded guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of attempted assault and battery with a firearm discharge, two counts of assault and battery by firearm discharge, five counts of unlawful possession of a large-capacity firearm, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and one count of cocaine possession.

Judge Robert Cosgrove handed down his sentence.

“The defendant went on a shooting rampage that seriously injured two people and very easily could have resulted in loss of life to others," said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn. "He even fired into an apartment where several children were residing."

"The defendant’s conduct is difficult to comprehend but can only be described as outrageous and extremely violent," he added. "He clearly is a menace to society and needs to be kept off the street for a very long time to protect the public."