In Massachusetts, Sean Brewer remains in custody while prosecutors review the fatal shooting of his wife, Jacklyn Berry.
BOSTON, Mass. — A judge ordered Sean Brewer held after his arraignment in the fatal shooting of his wife, setting $100,000 bail and revoking bail in a separate pending criminal case.
The bail rulings mean Brewer, 58, remains behind bars while the manslaughter case tied to Jacklyn Berry’s death heads toward a July 15 probable cause hearing. Brewer pleaded not guilty in East Boston Municipal Court to manslaughter and unlawful firearm and ammunition possession. Prosecutors say Berry, 47, was shot Sunday morning in her Winthrop apartment after Brewer confronted her about a gun. Brewer’s defense says the gun went off by accident and that Berry herself described the shooting as accidental before she died.
The custody decision came after prosecutors described Brewer’s criminal history and a pending case that was already in the court system. Assistant District Attorney Sarah McEvoy said Brewer had a lengthy record that included convictions for violent crimes and drug offenses. She also pointed to open charges in Boston Municipal Court, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. The judge revoked bail in that older matter and set new bail in the shooting case. Brewer’s attorney, Lorenzo Perez, did not press a detailed bail argument at the arraignment, leaving that fight for another day.
Only after the bail issue did the court record begin to show the path from a Winthrop bedroom to the criminal docket. Police had been called to 26 Beacon St. just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of a disturbance. Initial information given to officers described a man and woman arguing and a gun possibly involved. When police arrived, they found Berry on a bed with a gunshot wound. Emergency crews gave medical aid and took her to a Boston hospital, where she died. Brewer was in the home when officers arrived, and police quickly focused on him as the person involved in the shooting.
McEvoy told the court that Brewer gave police an account centered on a discovery he said he made while preparing before church. Brewer said he was sweeping or cleaning in the bedroom when he found items that were not his. One item was a jacket. Inside the jacket pocket, he said, was a gun he did not recognize. Prosecutors said Brewer told investigators he took the gun out and asked Berry about it. McEvoy said Brewer claimed he did not touch the trigger and that the firearm “spontaneously went off,” striking Berry.
The firearm recovered from the apartment was described in court as a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson. Prosecutors said investigators also found one spent cartridge. Local reporting on a police report described a magazine on the bedroom floor. Authorities have not said who owned the gun, whether it was registered to anyone, whether it had been reported stolen or whether it had any mechanical defect. They also have not released forensic findings tied to fingerprints, DNA, trigger function or gunshot residue. Those questions are likely to shape the next phase of the case, especially because Brewer’s statement places the gun’s operation at the center of his defense.
Perez said after court that police reports and Berry’s alleged statement before her death support the accident claim. He said the clothing and firearm were brought into the apartment by someone else. He did not publicly name that person or explain how the items ended up in the bedroom. Perez also said Brewer and Berry were very much in love. Prosecutors have not released the full 911 recording, body camera footage or medical records that could show how Berry described what happened. They also have not said whether investigators have interviewed the person the defense says brought the items into the home.
Berry’s family offered a sharply different public focus, describing the woman they lost rather than the mechanics of the gun. They said Berry was “sweet, loyal, loving and kind,” and called her a nurturer who was proud of her family roles and friendships. “The world is a little less bright today because she’s gone,” the family said. The statement was shared as relatives and friends attended court and watched Brewer sob while the facts alleged by prosecutors were read aloud. Brewer did not address the court in detail, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
The Beacon Street apartment has also drawn attention because the landlord said Berry leased it alone. Blue Sky Realty said Berry became a resident in November 2025 after applying by herself. The company said Brewer was not an approved tenant, was not listed on the lease and had not submitted an application to live there. The landlord said police had described the shooting as isolated and said there was no danger to the public. That statement may become part of the broader factual picture as investigators sort out who had access to the apartment and the bedroom where the shooting occurred.
For now, the case sits between competing public accounts. Prosecutors describe a husband who handled a gun during a confrontation and now faces manslaughter and weapons charges. The defense describes an accidental discharge involving a gun Brewer says he did not own and did not knowingly fire. Berry’s family describes a woman whose death has left a lasting hole. The court has not decided which account will control, and Brewer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The next milestone is the probable cause hearing scheduled for July 15. Brewer remains in custody as prosecutors, police and State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office continue reviewing the shooting, the firearm and the statements made in the minutes after Berry was wounded.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.