A man in his early 20s became the city’s first homicide victim of 2011 in a brazen daytime shooting at a busy Dorchester intersection.
The unidentified man was rushed to Boston Medical Center where he later died. The gunfire erupted at 1:20 p.m. near Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road.
A manager at a nearby pizza shop said she heard about five shots and saw the victim run across Blue Hill Avenue and collapse.
“My heart jumped,” said the manager, who identified herself only as Nicole.
Police closed the road, snarling traffic throughout the neighborhood for much of the afternoon.
Deputy Superintendent Randall Halstead said he believed part of the evidence recovered included a gun. Police did not immediately release a description of the gunman.
Reggie Brown was walking on a visit with his brother-in-law when they came upon the crime scene.
“It happened in broad daylight?” Brown said. “They’re getting bold.”
