BOSTON — Gunshots rang and blood spilled across the streets of Boston on the eve of the Fourth of July as 10 people were shot at seven different locations in the city.
“Investigations are underway,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in response to the violence. “My heart goes out to the family members and all those who are impacted by unnecessary and unacceptable violence in our city.”
Wu made the remarks while kicking off the city’s Independence Day celebrations.
Here is a rundown of the shootings, as provided by Boston Police:
Officers responded to a report of a man shot at Woodbole Avenue at 10:42 p.m., and found a juvenile with a non-life threatening gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital.
Minutes later, officers were sent to Greenville Street, where they found a man with several gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
A vehicle fleeing that scene was stopped and another man with gunshot wounds was found inside. That individual had a weapon, was taken into custody and will face gun charges, police said.
After midnight, officers were sent to Washington and Bailey Streets, where they found three men shot with non-life threatening wounds. Also, a fourth man from that scene admitted himself to the hospital.
At about 1:15 a.m., officers responded to Monsignor Reynolds Way, and found yet another man who had been shot. He was also transported to the hospital for treatment.
An hour later after 2 a.m., a shot-spotter notification sent police to Elizabeth Street, where they found a man shot with serious, life-threatening injuries. He was treated and transported to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition Monday afternoon.
Minutes later, a man admitted himself to Boston Medical Center with gunshot wounds.
And just before 5 a.m., officers responded to Garfield Avenue, where they found fireworks debris and shell casings littering the ground. They also found a woman who had been grazed by a bullet while she sat in her home. She was treated at the scene, but refused to be transported to the hospital.
The outburst of violence across the city prompted a statement from Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden, who warned it could get worse.
“Guns are too easy to acquire in other states and too many of those guns are coming into Boston and ending up in the hands of people too willing to use them. The recent Supreme Court decision could make this illegal flow of guns even worse,” he said in a statement.
According to Hayden, law enforcement is doing what it can to prevent gun violence, but the court’s decision throwing out gun restrictions in New York has already led to change here in Massachusetts. It’s going to take more than laws to stop the shooting, Hayden said, adding that it’s going to take the entire community.
The DA said, “I know I stand with all law enforcement partners in working to reduce gun violence, but the effort has to include all of us, not just police and prosecutors.”
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