Neighbors in a quiet Winthrop apartment building woke up Sunday morning to something no one expects to hear — gunshots, followed by silence.
Just after 8:30 a.m. on Beacon Street, multiple residents called 911 to report a disturbance. What police found when they arrived was devastating. A woman had been shot inside the building, bleeding and in critical need of help.
Emergency personnel rushed her to a nearby hospital. She did not survive.
By Monday, authorities had identified the man they say pulled the trigger — 58-year-old Sean Brewer, a Winthrop resident. The Suffolk District Attorney’s office confirmed that Brewer allegedly shot and killed his wife, 47-year-old Jacklyn Berry, during a heated argument inside their apartment.
Brewer has been charged with manslaughter and is scheduled to appear for arraignment Tuesday at East Boston Municipal Court. Prosecutors say additional details about the case will be released during that hearing.
Witnesses told investigators they heard a verbal argument before the shooting. Police said the incident does not appear to have been random, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk County DA’s office responded to the scene alongside local officers. Several cruisers blocked off Beacon Street as investigators worked through the morning.
Winthrop is a coastal town of about 19,000 people, situated near the entrance to Boston Harbor and roughly six miles from downtown Boston.
For Jacklyn Berry’s neighbors, Sunday morning changed everything about how they see the building they call home.
Arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at East Boston Municipal Court. This story will be updated.
