WORCESTER—More than a decade after the shooting death of 33-year-old Shaun Hibbard, a Worcester County Superior Court jury has convicted a Fitchburg man of second-degree murder, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
John Yang, 44, of Fitchburg, was found guilty Friday in the 2013 killing of Hibbard, also of Fitchburg.
Police were called to Forest Street in Fitchburg around 4 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2013, after reports of multiple gunshots. Officers found Hibbard on the front porch of 46 Forest St. suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to Leominster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined Hibbard had been shot during a confrontation near his vehicle at the corner of Forest and Charles streets. After being shot, he ran up Forest Street, knocking on doors for help. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Yang was arrested and arraigned on a murder charge in September 2023 and later indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury that November. He has been held without bail since his arraignment.
“We hope this verdict brings the victim’s family and loved ones some justice and closure,” Early said in a statement. “This case exemplifies the continued efforts by law enforcement to bring all of our cases to a resolution, regardless of the passage of time.”
Fitchburg Police Chief Steven Giannini said in the announcement that the verdict “brings long-awaited closure to the friends and family of Shaun Hibbard,” and praised the collaboration between city police, state police, and the district attorney’s office.
Yang is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge James G. Reardon Jr. on Nov. 4.
