
Courtesy photo: www.thebharatexpressnews.com/fitchburg-man-once-in-the-spotlight-for-racist-graffiti-complaint-has-been-charged-with-shooting/: Isaac Phillips, right, during his arraignment in Worcester Superior Court on Monday, March 31.
WORCESTER — A Fitchburg man whose family made national headlines in 2013 for a racist graffiti incident was held without bail for an alleged Leominster shooting.
According to MassLive, it’s alleged that Issac Phillips, 22, shot an individual named Mark Spence nine times on Oct. 31, 2021 at 19 Crossman Ave # D in Leominster. Following the shooting, Phillips, 22, was charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon as well as several firearms charges.
Superior Court Judge Daniel Wrenn determined Phillips was too dangerous to be released on bail following a March 25 dangerousness hearing, according to court documents obtained by MassLive.
The court documents unveiled a longstanding feud between Phillips and Spence. Phillips allegedly punched Spence prior to the Oct. 31 shooting. Phillips crimes don’t begin and end with Spence either, he is also alleged to have robbed someone at knifepoint in January 2021 and in August of that year, Phillips was the prime suspect in another shooting.
In November 2013, Phillips’ family made national headlines when they claimed that someone spray painted “Knights don’t need n******” on their Lunenburg home. Knights is a reference to the football team Phillips was on at the high school called the Blue Knights. The graffiti incident took place when Phillips, who is half black and half white, was only 13 years old.
The Sentinel & Enterprise reports that in December of that year, police searched the Phillips residence and found two cans of spray paint as well as live ammunition, but no charges were filed in the incident by the Worcester District Attorney’s Office because the evidence wasn’t definitive enough.
Phillips is expected to appear in court again on May19.