The man killed after an officer opened fire at Webb Memorial State Park was identified Thursday as Sean R. Barry, 25, of Weymouth.
WEYMOUTH, Mass. — A fatal police shooting at Webb Memorial State Park turned one of Weymouth’s best-known shoreline walking spots into an active investigation Wednesday, after officers responding to a call encountered a man with a knife and opened fire, authorities said.
By Thursday, Norfolk County prosecutors had identified the man as Sean R. Barry, 25, of Weymouth, and said the investigation remained in the hands of Massachusetts State Police assigned to the district attorney’s office. The shooting has drawn attention not only because a man died during a police encounter, but because it happened at a public park used daily by residents for exercise and quiet views of Hingham Bay. Officials have released only a limited account, leaving the community waiting for details about what happened before the shots were fired.
The known timeline begins in the late afternoon. Prosecutors said Weymouth police were called to Webb Memorial State Park on River Street at about 4 p.m. for a 911 call for service. When officers arrived, the district attorney’s office said, they found a man holding a knife who appeared to be in distress. At some point during that encounter, an officer shot him. Authorities have not said how long the interaction lasted or what commands, if any, were given first. They have said the officer immediately began first aid before Barry was transported to South Shore Hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries.
Witnesses and nearby residents described a sudden and overwhelming police presence in a place that usually feels removed from the traffic and noise of busier parts of the South Shore. Sami Davis said she saw officers rush into the area and then heard two gunshots. Another resident told television reporters that within minutes, a large number of cruisers and emergency vehicles came into the park, signaling that the call had become something far more serious than a routine service response. By evening, access to the area had been restricted as investigators searched the scene around the park and nearby structures.
The location has shaped much of the reaction. Webb Memorial State Park is known for its waterfront paths, open views and a sense of isolation that draws runners, walkers and people out for sunset views. That reputation made the shooting feel especially jarring to regular visitors. One woman who often runs there said the incident would make it hard to return to the park and feel normal. Another Weymouth resident said she was shocked because the park is tucked away enough that people usually seek it out for calm. In that sense, the shooting did more than interrupt a public space for a few hours. It unsettled a place residents associate with routine, exercise and quiet.
Officially, the case is now at the evidence-gathering stage. State Police assigned to the Norfolk district attorney’s office are investigating, which is standard when a local officer uses deadly force. Investigators are expected to review the physical scene, examine the weapon involved, analyze any firearms evidence, and interview officers and civilian witnesses. Officials have not said whether body camera footage exists, whether any park surveillance captured the encounter or whether a 911 recording may later be released. They have also not publicly described the officer’s account of the moments before the shooting, leaving a major gap in the public narrative.
Follow-up coverage added one key detail Thursday: the man killed was a Weymouth resident in his mid-20s. That identification gave the case a clearer human frame for a town now absorbing the death of a local man in a police encounter at one of its most visible public spaces. But many of the most important details remain unresolved in public. Authorities have not said whether Barry moved toward officers, how close he was when shots were fired, how many rounds were fired, or whether alternatives to deadly force were attempted. Those are the kinds of questions that typically shape public debate once an investigative file becomes more complete.
For now, the public record is narrow but consequential: a 911 call brought police to a state park, officers found a man with a knife who appeared to be in distress, an officer shot him, aid was given at the scene, and the man later died at the hospital. Around that spare account, Weymouth residents are left with images of a park closure, emergency lights near the shoreline and a familiar place suddenly linked to tragedy. The community’s next clear marker will be a fuller statement from prosecutors or police about the encounter that ended Barry’s life.
As of Thursday evening, no officer had been publicly identified and no expanded official timeline had been released. The next step is expected to be further disclosure from investigators as they review witness accounts, scene evidence and any video tied to the shooting.
Author note: Last updated March 20, 2026.
Featured image prompt: Horizontal 1200×630 realistic news image of Webb Memorial State Park in Weymouth at dusk, waterfront path and grassy shoreline under cloudy March light, emergency vehicles parked near the entrance, investigators working behind tape from a distance, no logos, no identifiable faces, restrained and factual local-news atmosphere.