Judge Denies Bail for Sienna Barboza After Taunton Birthday Shooting; Prosecutors Say Shots Fired 'Indiscriminately'

A judge has ordered 25-year-old Sienna Barboza to be held without bail following a deadly shooting at a backyard birthday party in Taunton, Massachusetts. Barboza pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and seven counts of armed assault with intent to murder in connection with the Sept. 6 incident, which left one person dead and multiple others wounded.

What Prosecutors Say

Prosecutor Jason Mohan told the court that Taunton police responded after multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired at a Weir Street home. When officers arrived, several people were injured; six suffered non-life-threatening wounds. Twenty-two-year-old Zirovick DePina was airlifted to a hospital and died during surgery. Prosecutors say another victim sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen that resulted in paralysis from the waist down.

Investigators recovered 14 spent 9 mm shell casings along nearby train tracks. Mohan argued that, based on the location of the casings, the shooter would not have been able to see into the backyard where the party was concentrated, meaning the shots were fired indiscriminately into a crowd of roughly 50 to 60 people.

“From the position where the shots were fired, the shooter would not be able to see into the backyard, which meant that all 14 shots were fired indiscriminately into the crowd of people,” Mohan said.

Surveillance, Phone Records, and Link to Vehicle

Surveillance footage reportedly shows a Mercedes SUV drive past the Weir Street address and park about a block away along the train tracks. Video allegedly captures two people exiting the vehicle before the shooting and returning to it minutes later. Detectives tied the Mercedes to Barboza, who confirmed she was the vehicle’s sole driver but initially told investigators she was at home the entire night.

Zirovick DePina (Conley, Russell & Pica Funeral Home)

Prosecutors also say a search of Barboza’s phone revealed a Waze search for the Weir Street address about 30 minutes before the shooting. Additional footage allegedly shows the SUV driving away from the scene without headlights and later returning to Barboza’s New Bedford home, where she was filmed getting out of the vehicle with two people wearing clothing consistent with those seen in the earlier footage.

Defense Argument and Court Decision

Barboza’s attorney, James Hanley, asked the judge to grant bond, noting his client’s lack of prior criminal history and her status as the mother of two children under five. Hanley said Barboza’s family would support her and argued there is no evidence she exited the vehicle, knew a firearm was present, or participated in planning the attack.

Judge Michael Brennan denied bail and ordered Barboza held without bond. Her next scheduled court date is Oct. 7.

Victim

According to an obituary, Zirovick DePina was a Brockton High School graduate who enjoyed basketball, soccer and dancing, and was often described as “the life of the party.”