Woburn Shooting Suspect Falsely Accused Black Person: Prosecutor

WOBURN, MA — The suspect in the June 12 Woburn shooting falsely accused a Black person of carrying out the shooting, officials said Friday.

Alec Braz, 24 of Woburn, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday with intimidation of a witness in connection with misleading police, Woburn Police Chief Robert Rufo and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

Braz already faced multiple charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Rufo previously said that Braz was not charged in relation to the false story, because police quickly determined it was false and he did not persist with it.

Around 2:30 p.m. on June 12, Woburn police were sent to Winchester Hospital for a report of a man with a gunshot wound in the neck. The defendant and another person who was present for the shooting had brought the victim to the hospital, officials said.

Braz told the police that a Black male he knew from Woburn was the shooter, Ryan and Rufo said. He gave the person's name and a "specific description of the clothing" he was wearing that day.

"The defendant allegedly told the Woburn Police that the male had entered his house and proceeded to the defendant’s third-floor bedroom where the victim was shot before the suspect fled from the home," the officials said. "This story was allegedly corroborated by another party at the scene."

Police went to the accused's house and interviewed him, determining he was not responsible.

After conducting further interviews and collecting evidence including surveillance video, detectives determined that Braz had been the shooter and told the third party to corroborate his false story.

“The defendant in this case allegedly shot and permanently injured his friend," Ryan said. "He then went on to allegedly create a serious public safety risk by misleading police into believing that an armed home invasion had occurred. These actions put an innocent man at risk and created a very dangerous situation.

“He allegedly attempted to frame a man who was not involved in this incident. Fortunately, despite having allegedly been provided with the name and description of a suspect by an eyewitness, the Woburn and State Police exercised a measured response in approaching the named “suspect” and continued to investigate and ultimately established that the named person was, in fact, not involved. Today’s indictment includes the appropriate charges to reflect the very serious nature of his alleged actions.”

Braz was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court Friday and released after posting $7,500 cash bail. The next scheduled court date is July 22. The district attorney's office and Woburn police are still investigating the case.

The victim, Jemil Evans, remains hospitalized and paralyzed.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.