An Everett man accused of firing a rifle during a dispute at a soccer game on Sunday night pleaded not guilty Monday, November 9, 2026, in Malden District Court and is being held without bail until a dangerousness hearing on November 18, according to Boston 25 News and WCVB.
Bryan Villeda Pineda, 25, of Everett, is charged with possessing a firearm without a license and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, WCVB reported. Boston 25 reported he faces several firearm-related charges. He is presumed innocent.
Here is what police and prosecutors say happened, what the charges carry under Massachusetts law, and what the November 18 hearing will decide.
What prosecutors allege
According to prosecutors and police, as reported by Boston 25, WCVB and NBC10 Boston:
- The call. Police were called at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday, November 8, to a report of gunfire at River Green Park, where there was a dispute during a soccer game, WCVB and NBC10 reported.
- The video. Detectives met with a victim who showed them video of a man holding what appeared to be a large machete and a rifle while confronting a crowd during the game, Boston 25 reported. The victim identified the man as Pineda.
- The shot. Witnesses said Pineda had been arguing with other men at the field, left, went to his vehicle and came back with a machete and a firearm, according to Boston 25. Police said one round was fired, WCVB and NBC10 reported, and investigators found casings at the scene, Boston 25 reported.
- No injuries. No one was hurt, NBC10 reported. Police did not say whether the shot was fired into the air or at anyone, according to NBC10.
The arrest and the rifle
The accounts of the arrest differ in their details. Boston 25 reported that detectives tracked Pineda’s phone to Assembly Row in Somerville, found a vehicle registered to him, and took him into custody when he approached it, and that he told police the rifle was at his home in Everett. WCVB reported he was taken into custody early Monday at a residence in Everett. NBC10 reported Everett police made the arrest with help from Somerville police.
Police seized a U.S. M1 Carbine .30-caliber semiautomatic rifle from his residence, Boston 25 reported. Early reports called the weapon an AK-47-style rifle. Investigators later clarified it was the M1 Carbine, NBC10 and Boston 25 reported.
The charges
We read both statutes at malegislature.gov.
Carrying a firearm without a license, G.L. c. 269, § 10(a)
Section 10(a) makes it a crime to knowingly possess, or have under one’s control in a vehicle, a firearm, or “a rifle or shotgun, loaded or unloaded,” without one of the listed exemptions. For rifles, those include being “present in or on his residence or place of business,” a license to carry, or a firearms identification card.
This charge is one of the few in Massachusetts with a mandatory minimum:
- Range. “Not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years” in state prison, or “not less than 18 months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.”
- The floor. The sentence “shall not be reduced to less than 18 months, nor suspended,” and the person is not eligible for probation, parole, work release or good-conduct deductions “until he shall have served 18 months.”
- No easy exits. Prosecutions under this subsection “shall neither be continued without a finding nor placed on file.”
Whether Pineda had a license or card for the rifle has not been reported.
Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, G.L. c. 265, § 15A(b)
Section 15A(b) covers “an assault and battery upon another by means of a dangerous weapon.” The penalty is up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2½ years in a house of correction, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The news reports, which say no one was hurt, do not describe the alleged battery, and we do not know what the complaint alleges on that count.
The November 18 dangerousness hearing
Pineda is held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing, WCVB reported. That process is governed by G.L. c. 276, § 58A, which we read.
- Why it applies. Section 58A(1) lets prosecutors seek detention for felonies involving the “use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against the person of another,” and it lists charges under “paragraph (a), (c) or (m) of section 10 of chapter 269” by name. Both charges here can qualify.
- Why the wait. The hearing “shall be held immediately upon the person’s first appearance before the court unless that person, or the attorney for the commonwealth, seeks a continuance.” Except for good cause, a defense continuance “may not exceed seven days,” and a prosecution continuance “may not exceed three business days.” During a continuance, the person “shall be detained upon a showing that there existed probable cause to arrest.”
- The question. The judge decides “whether conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.”
- The standard. Detention requires “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.”
- How long. Absent good cause, a person held under § 58A may not be detained “for a period exceeding 120 days by the district court or for a period exceeding 180 days by the superior court,” not counting excludable delay.
If the judge does not order detention, the statute requires release on the least restrictive conditions that will reasonably assure his appearance and public safety.
What happens next
Pineda is due back in Malden District Court on November 18, Boston 25 and WCVB reported. Whether the case stays in District Court or is indicted in Superior Court is up to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at River Green Park in Everett?
Police say a man fired one round from a rifle during a dispute at a soccer game on Sunday night, November 8, 2026. No one was hurt, NBC10 Boston reported.
Who was charged in the Everett soccer game shooting?
Bryan Villeda Pineda, 25, of Everett. He pleaded not guilty in Malden District Court to charges including possessing a firearm without a license and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to WCVB and Boston 25.
What is the mandatory minimum for carrying a gun without a license in Massachusetts?
18 months. G.L. c. 269, § 10(a) says the sentence cannot be reduced below 18 months or suspended, and the charge cannot be continued without a finding or placed on file.
What is a dangerousness hearing?
A hearing under G.L. c. 276, § 58A where the Commonwealth asks a judge to hold a defendant without bail. The judge must find by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will reasonably protect the public.
Sources: Boston 25 News, November 9, 2026, citing prosecutors; WCVB, November 9, 2026; NBC10 Boston, November 9, 2026, citing Everett police. G.L. c. 269, § 10; G.L. c. 265, § 15A; and G.L. c. 276, § 58A, read at malegislature.gov. General information, not legal advice.