SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man will spend nearly two decades in prison for shooting a Holyoke cook who added bacon to his sandwich.
John Brown Jr., 37, was convicted April 29 by a Hampden County jury of shooting Benito Agron, 39, a cook at the Unicorn Pub on High Street in Holyoke.
On Dec. 17, 2022, after a family party in a private room reserved by Brown’s sister, security video shows Brown sitting at the bar and talking with Agron, while other patrons and staff lingered in the pub.
Agron later told detectives that Brown asked him for something to eat after the party, according to court records. Brown received a sandwich, but as he ate it, he noticed there was bacon in it.
Brown and Agron started arguing and began to fight. As the melee ended, Brown could be heard warning Agron that he would kill him if he was at the bar when he returned.
About 30 to 40 minutes later, Brown returned to the bar. With other patrons nearby, Brown walked straight up to Agron, pulled out a handgun and shot him five times at close range.
Around 8:46 p.m. the Holyoke Police Department responded to a call about gunshots with injuries at the bar.
At the bar, police found Agron lying on the floor with gunshot wounds in the shoulder, back, arm, buttocks and pelvic area. He was later interviewed by police while recovering in the hospital.
Two witnesses identified Brown as the shooter and DNA from his sunglasses, left at the scene, was said to confirm the identification. It wasn’t clear why Brown took offense to the presence of bacon in the sandwich.
Brown was later escorted to Holyoke District Court by his father, John Brown Sr., who worked for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.
Brown Jr. will serve 18 to 20 years for attempted murder, followed by three-to-five years for illegal gun possession.
Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated on Friday that the victim continues to endure severe injuries from the attack. The district attorney said it is a miracle that Agron survived.
“The defendant’s actions were vicious and needless — an act of unadulterated violence over a disagreement about a sandwich,” Gulluni said in a statement.
