A 30-year-old man from Massachusetts, Shaun Holiday, has been sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison for shooting his pregnant girlfriend, Amanda Holyoke, in the head at point-blank range.
The horrific attack took place in front of three children in the victim’s apartment, leaving Holyoke permanently blind but miraculously alive. The sentence follows a jury’s verdict that found Holiday guilty of multiple serious felonies.
The Violent Attack
The crime occurred on September 8, 2020, at the victim’s apartment in Brockton, Massachusetts, about 20 miles south of Boston. Police were called to the scene after a 911 report indicated that a woman had been shot in the head.
When emergency responders arrived, they found Amanda Holyoke, who was 27 weeks pregnant with Holiday’s child, suffering from a gunshot wound to her temple.
Holyoke was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital and later transferred to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston due to the severity of her injury. Despite her life-threatening condition, Holyoke survived but was left permanently blind.
The Investigation and Arrest
As police responded to the scene, they followed a blood trail leading up to the third-floor apartment where they found three children inside. The children identified Shaun Holiday as their father when one of them pointed him out to officers.
Holiday was found sitting on the sidewalk, receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to his left forearm, which he sustained during the shooting.
Through witness interviews, video surveillance footage, and data from Holiday’s GPS monitoring bracelet, investigators determined that Holiday had arrived at the apartment earlier in the day, gained entry, and then attacked Holyoke.
He allegedly approached her from behind, wrapped his arm around her neck, and shot her in the temple with a .40 caliber firearm while the children were in the apartment. The bullet exited Holyoke’s left temple and lodged in Holiday’s forearm.
The Court’s Verdict
Holiday was convicted on several charges, including armed assault in a dwelling, armed home invasion, assault and battery upon a pregnant person, armed assault with intent to murder, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 25 to 30 years for the most serious charge, with an additional 5 to 10 years to be served consecutively.
In addition to the violent assault charges, Holiday was convicted on several other counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, reckless endangerment of a child, and intimidation of a witness. The intimidation charge stems from his attempts to prevent Holyoke from testifying against him during the trial.
Post-Sentencing Conditions
Following his prison sentence, Holiday will remain on probation and will be prohibited from having any contact with the victims unless explicitly authorized by the court. He will also be required to wear a GPS tracking device, undergo a mental health evaluation, and follow any recommended treatment.
The brutal attack on Amanda Holyoke and her children has left the community in shock. Shaun Holiday’s actions were deemed despicable and cowardly by local authorities. While Amanda Holyoke’s life was forever changed, her survival is a testament to her strength.
As Holiday begins his lengthy prison sentence, he will face the consequences of his violent actions, but the scars he left on Holyoke and her children will last much longer.
