A Birthday Cake and Two Body Bags”: Tragedy Strikes Carver, Massachusetts at Children’s Party

A quiet evening in Carver, Massachusetts turned into a nightmare last Saturday night when a 23-year-old man allegedly walked into a children’s birthday party at the Saint John the Baptist Club and opened fire on four men, sending families ducking for cover amidst screams of terror. What should have been a joyful celebration with cake and balloons quickly turned into chaos, leaving two young men dead and others injured.

Benjamin Cowart, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene when police arrived around 7:20 p.m. Jalen Pina, just 20 years old, died later at a Plymouth hospital despite doctors’ best efforts to save him. Two other men, aged 28 and 32, were also shot but survived. Though their injuries are not life-threatening, the trauma of witnessing two deaths in front of terrified children and panicked parents will forever haunt them.

Police apprehended Nicholas Meuse, 23, of Plymouth, just a short distance from the scene that same night. He now faces two murder charges, armed assault with intent to murder, and multiple gun charges. Meuse is scheduled to appear in Wareham District Court soon.