GREENFIELD — A Springfield man who claimed self-defense after he shot an Athol man in the thigh in Turners Falls in 2023 and then fled the scene was convicted this week on three firearms possession charges stemming from the incident, following a five-day trial.
Gil L. Viera, 32, was found guilty in Franklin County Superior Court on single counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition without an FID card. He was sentenced Tuesday to two years in a state house of correction, though which one is not yet clear.
However, Viera was found not guilty on a series of other charges, which included drug possession, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and withholding evidence from criminal proceedings.
“We’re relieved that the jury … listened to Mr. Viera and decided that he did act in proper self-defense,” defense attorney Jared Olanoff said in an interview on Thursday.
Viera had been arraigned in Greenfield District Court following his August 2023 arrest, but the case was transferred to Superior Court due to its severity. He was held without bail until December 2023, when Judge Karen Goodwin set bail at $20,000, which he posted.
Olanoff had previously said in court that his client pulled out a firearm for protection and shot the other man only after that man had brandished a knife and was issued several warnings to get back. Olanoff acknowledged that Viera had a license to carry a firearm in Florida, though it was not transferred to Massachusetts. He has also said Viera shot the other man “low, on purpose, in the thigh” to avoid causing a mortal wound.
“He never wanted to fire that gun that day,” Olanoff said, adding that the other man attacked his client “for no understandable reason.”
Viera shot a 30-year-old Athol man in the left thigh on 11th Street in Turners Falls on Aug. 29, 2023, before fleeing into nearby woods and through the Connecticut River. The injured man was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Viera was arrested as a vehicle passenger near mile-marker 13.2 on Interstate 91 southbound in Holyoke later in the day.
A witness on the corner of 11th and I streets reportedly told authorities the shooting suspect had headed into the woods by the Connecticut River, sparking an hours-long search. It was noted in a probable cause statement filed by Joshua Hoffman, a detective sergeant with the Montague Police Department, that Viera’s shorts, shirt, sneakers and the cash on his person were drenched with water, indicating he had crossed the river while fleeing.
Assistant District Attorney Aidan Lanciani, who prosecuted the case with First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne, said in a statement disseminated through the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office that the state is pleased with the jury’s verdict.
“The sentence imposed by Judge Jane Mulqueen, two years to the house of correction with a year of probation supervision upon his release, appropriately reflects both the defendant’s actions and the importance of maintaining community safety,” she said.