Adult brother charged with manslaughter in shooting death of 12-year-old boy in Mattapan

Walter Hendrick (left) of Mattapan hid behind a door near a court officer as he was arraigned on July 14 in the Dorchester Division of Boston Municipal Court on firearms charges related to the death of his 12-year old brother at their home on Fessenden Street. Hendrick is facing a new charge of manslaughter and other offenses, Boston police said Wednesday.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

The adult brother of a 12-year-old boy killed in a shooting in Mattapan in July was arrested Wednesday on charges of manslaughter, witness intimidation, and gun offenses, officials said.

Walter L. Hendrick, 22, of Roxbury, is due to be arraigned Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court, police said.

Hendrick was arrested in July on illegal gun charges related to the death of his brother, Savion Ellis, police said. In Dorchester Municipal Court, he pleaded not guilty to charges of improperly storing a firearm so that a child under 18 could access it and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Bail was set at $2,500 and a judge ordered Hendrick to surrender any other firearms or weapons.

On July 13, Ellis was shot in the chest at 35 Fessenden St., police said. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police found a semiautomatic handgun in the home, and Hendrick allegedly admitted to police that it was his and he had stored it in a black fanny pack. Hendrick was not licensed to own a gun, the Globe reported.

Warrants were issued out of Suffolk Superior Court charging Hendrick with manslaughter, witness intimidation, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device, police said.

Hendrick was arrested at 1165 Blue Hill Ave. shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The shooting is still under investigation, police said. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at 617-343-4470.