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Newton man shot at pro-Israel rally pleads not guilty to assault and battery
Prosecutors allege Caleb Gannon “verbally antagonized” a group of pro-Israel demonstrators and escalated to physical violence before he was shot.
A Newton man who was shot after he allegedly tackled a pro-Israel demonstrator during a September rally pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault and battery Monday.
Caleb Gannon, 32, was released on personal recognizance and given orders to stay away from Scott Hayes, the Framingham man he’s accused of assaulting.
Prosecutors have said the Sept. 12 clash began when Gannon shouted at a small group of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered at the corner of Harvard and Washington streets.
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Gannon “verbally antagonized a group of people exercising their right to peacefully demonstrate and escalated his verbal attacks by charging across a busy street and physically attacking the victim, knowing that victim to be armed with a firearm,” prosecutor Christopher Tarrant said in Newton District Court, per WHDH video from the arraignment.
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Hayes, 47, has pleaded not guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for his alleged role in the altercation, part of which was captured in a viral video. He is accused of shooting Gannon as both men wrestled on the ground, though he plans to claim self-defense.
Yet Gannon’s defense attorney, Stephen Colella, described Hayes as “someone who, allegedly attending a peaceful rally, saw fit to bring a semiautomatic weapon and 20 rounds, and a person who has, in fact, attended similar rallies in the past similarly armed,” per the WHDH clip.
Colella was not immediately available for comment Monday. According to The Boston Globe, he told the court Gannon — who was hospitalized for more than a month after the shooting — does not have a prior criminal record.
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In the months leading up to their altercation, both Gannon and Hayes used social media to share clashing views on Israel’s war in Gaza. According to the Newton Beacon, Gannon posted his opposition to Israel and called for an end to the United States. Hayes, meanwhile, made a name for himself as a pro-Israel agitator and didn’t shy away from bringing guns into the equation; in May, he shared a picture of a firearm on X with the caption, “Hey Jew haters. Bring it.”
Gannon is due back in court Feb. 3.
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