Man released on bail after rally in Newton; shooting victim could face charges

A Framingham man who attended a pro-Israel rally in Newton and is accused of shooting another man during a fight there on Thursday was granted bail at his arraignment on Friday.

Scott Hayes, 47, of Framingham, is facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors also announced they will file charges against the man who was shot and attacked Hayes.

Hayes pleaded not guilty. A judge granted $5,000 bail on the condition that Hayes remain under house arrest except from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, while he works as a contractor for National Grid, wears an ankle monitor with GPS, stays away from Newton and the victim, and does not possess any weapons.

Hayes' lawyers said during the arraignment that they planned to post bail “within minutes.”

According to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, a group of pro-Israel protesters were holding a rally at the intersection of Harvard and Washington streets around 6:40 p.m. on Thursday when they “exchanged words” with two bystanders across the street. One of the bystanders crossed the street and “attacked” Hayes, leading to a scuffle.

During the scuffle, Ryan said Hayes shot the person crossing the street.

She added that the gun was in Hayes' legal possession.

On Thursday, Ryan said Hayes would be charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right by assault, but only the first charge was filed at the arraignment.

The shooting victim, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken to the hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. His condition was not publicly known Friday.

The public prosecutor's office stated in court on Friday that it had requested that a criminal complaint for assault be filed against the man who was shot, which was pending at the court's office. He was not arrested because the altercation did not take place in front of the police, it said.

The Anti-Defamation League of New England wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that it was concerned about the incident and called for a thorough investigation.

“Reports that charges were filed immediately before the investigation was completed are concerning,” the organization wrote. “No one should be subjected to violence during protests. … We are concerned about escalating tensions and remain in contact with law enforcement and community officials.”

Police said on Thursday that they would conduct additional patrols around places of worship in the coming days.

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, thanked police and emergency personnel for their quick response to the incident.

“Violence in political discourse is never acceptable,” Auchincloss wrote on X.