A 19-year-old man was killed in a shootout with police in Dorchester on Monday afternoon, capping off a spate of gun violence that saw five shootings across Boston.
Officers in the bicycle unit were responding to a shooting between two men on Geneva Street when they spotted one of the suspects running with a gun in his hand, and chased him down Penhallow Street according, to CBS Boston. At this point, BPD officials said a gunfight broke out, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
“According to several witnesses, the suspect then pointed the firearm at the officers, and discharged the firearm at the Boston Police officers,” BPD Commissioner William Gross told CBS Boston. “These officers were in uniform with their badge clearly displayed.”
This shooting was one of several recent reports of gun violence.
At about 3 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of a shooting near 3 Duke Street in Mattapan. There they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds who was transported to a local hospital, and later succumbed to his injuries.
Later that night, at 9:30 p.m., a man was shot in the stomach on Maple Street in Roxbury.
Shortly after, MBTA Transit Police officers received a radio call to respond to the MBTA’s Aquarium Station for a report of shots fired. Investigators said an argument started onboard an inbound Blue Line train involving several young men. The disturbance continued onto the platform at Aquarium Station, and at least two shots were fired. No one was reported injured.
“We are extremely grateful no one was injured during [Sunday’s] incident and all available resources will be deployed to identify, locate and apprehend the person/s responsible for such reckless and criminal conduct,” T Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said in a statement.
Later, two people were shot at 9:51 p.m. at 197 Columbia Road in Dorchester. Both victims brought themselves to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police said one person suffered life-threatening injuries after they were shot at 83 Fayston St. at 10:43 p.m. on Sunday night.
“Any act of violence in our city is tragic and traumatizing,” Mayor Marty Walsh Tweeted. “We will continue to focus on preventing crime by creating more opportunities for our young people, and a path away from violence. We will not rest until all residents feel safe and supported in their neighborhood each and every day.”
According to BPD data, six more people have been shot this year than last year. The five year average of shooting victims is 86.
Director of Violence Boston Inc. Monica Cannon-Grant described the violence as “absolutely disheartening,” and said, “The City of Boston has no community lead violence prevention plan and there isn’t a line item in the budget… specifically to combat violence prevention. Until we are proactive and not reactive we will be holding hearings every summer and suffering the same violence.”
