Second suspect arrested in connection with deadly Waterbury shooting

A Massachusetts teenager is facing charges for his alleged role in a deadly shooting more than a week ago in Waterbury.

Samuel Niyonsenga, 18, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty through his attorney Wednesday to a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of Shawn Spiker, 34, of Croydon, New Hampshire.

Fabrice Rumama, 20, also of Springfield, Massachusetts, is believed to have fired the gun in the fatal shooting over a drug debt. Earlier this week, he pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and was being held without bail.

Niyonsenga was allegedly in a vehicle with Rumama when they arrived at a residence at the Kneeland Flats Trailer Park in Waterbury, where the shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 14, according to charging documents.

A third person who was driving the vehicle told investigators that when he arrived at the residence he was told where to park and stay because both Rumama, whom he knew as “Savage,” and Niyonsenga, whom he as “Smitty” knew, would be returning soon, according to charging documents.

The driver said he waited about 5 minutes. During that time, he told investigators he became nervous after hearing several gunshots and began walking, court records say.

“As he was leaving, ‘Savage’ and ‘Smitty’ approached his vehicle and knocked on the windows of his vehicle,” charging documents state. “They both got into his vehicle and threatened him to drive or be shot.”

Washington County Prosecutor Michelle Donnelly argued during Niyonsenga’s arraignment Wednesday in Washington County Superior Court that Niyonsenga should be held without bail.

“The affidavit of probable cause alleges that (Niyonsenga) was traveling with Fabrice Rumama and was present and had a firearm with him when Fabrice Rumama shot Shawn Spiker multiple times, resulting in his death,” Donnelly wrote in a court filing.

She also told Judge Michael Harris in court: “The crime of aiding and abetting the commission of a crime – the defendant has the right to be punished in the same way as the perpetrator.”

If convicted of the crime, Niyonsenga faces up to 20 years to life in prison.

Michael Perry, 57, of Waterbury, was also shot and injured at the Kneeland Flats Trailer Park condominium and taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

No one has been charged in Perry’s shooting.

Niyonsenga was back in court on Thursday in Barre on charges of accessory to murder. The hearing was held to determine where he should be held and under what conditions he should be held.

Under Vermont law, a person is considered a juvenile until age 19, Donnelly said. But since the state closed its only secure detention center for minors in 2020 amid allegations of mistreatment, it has struggled to find suitable places to house youths at risk of serious crimes in adult courts. Officials recently proposed building a new justice-involved youth facility in Vergennes.

A provision approved Thursday by Judge Harris calls for Niyonsenga to be held in an adult correctional facility in the general population, rather than being kept away from other incarcerated people in a facility under conditions similar to solitary confinement.

Joshua Rutherford, director of operations for the Vermont Department of Corrections, testified during Thursday’s hearing that three 18-year-olds are currently being held in adult correctional facilities in Vermont, including Niyonsenga.

Niyonsenga also faces fentanyl trafficking charges in Orange County and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment earlier this week.