FALL RIVER, Mass. (Court TV) — A Massachusetts teen pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of his older brother in what his attorney described as a “family fight” that escalated to deadly self-defense.
Jaylen Lambert, 17, appeared in Bristol County Superior Court for an arraignment on charges of second-degree murder, possession of a large-capacity firearm, and possession of a firearm without a permit in connection with the March 15 death of 20-year-old Jaleale Simmons.
Jaylen Lambert appears in court July 10, 2025. (Court TV)
Prosecutors argued Lambert should be held without bond, claiming he shot his brother in the chest during an argument over money in the family home.
“I would suggest to the Court that based on the nature and circumstances of this incident that this is obviously an extremely serious case,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Lopes said. “Not only is this defendant dangerous but there are no conditions of release that would ensure the safety of the public.”
According to prosecutors, the incident began when Lambert’s mother asked him to return birthday money she had given him three days earlier because his older brother spent the family’s grocery money.
The verbal dispute between the brothers allegedly turned physical, with Simmons grabbing Lambert around the neck, choking him for 10 to 15, according to testimony their mother provided to a grand jury.
After separating, the brothers continued arguing, with their mother attempting to call 911 multiple times. The prosecution said she saw Lambert holding a gun with a large-capacity magazine before he fired a single shot into Simmons’ chest after Simmons punched Lambert. The mother allegedly told the grand jury said she did not know where the gun came from and had never seen it before this incident.
When police arrived, Lambert immediately identified himself as the shooter, saying “it was me, it was me,” according to the prosecutor. Body camera footage shows Lambert in distress, Lopes said, indicating “it wasn’t supposed to happen the way it happened” and expressing regret.
Defense attorney Rosemary Scapicchio argued Lambert acted to protect himself and his mother. Scapicchio said Simmons was larger than Lambert and had allegedly assaulted his younger brother in the past. Scapicchio referenced an alleged altercation in which she said Simmons held Lambert against a radiator, leaving burn marks on his back.
“On at least two occasions during this altercation, Jaleale had his hands around my client’s neck, squeezing the life out of him,” causing Lambert to act in “complete self-defense and defense of others,” Scapicchio told the court. “I don’t know who introduced the gun, the Commonwealth doesn’t know who introduced the gun, all I know is the gun doesn’t get introduced until after the mother gets pushed to the ground, my client has to help his mother — his disabled mother — up, and then he’s attacked again by Jaleale.
Scapicchio argued in favor of bond, saying Lambert is not a threat to the community because the only person with whom he had problems — his brother — was dead. She added Lambert’s family was “rooting” for his release, but they could only cobble together $6,200 for bail.
“If you look at the body cam footage, he is sobbing, literally sobbing, when the police get there. This was not something that he wanted to have happen,” Scapicchio said.
Superior Court Judge William M. White Jr. took the matter under advisement, with the next court date scheduled for September 5.
Lambert is being tried as an adult per Massachusetts law. He is currently being held without bail in a Department of Youth Services facility pending the judge’s decision on his “dangerousness,” which is what the attorneys argued today. In Massachusetts, a “dangerousness hearing” is akin to a bail hearing in other states. According to his attorney, he’s been in school full-time while in custody and has earned As and Bs.
This story was reported by Court TV’s Emanuella Grinberg and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
