Dorchester, Roxbury Communities On Edge After 4 Shootings In 4 Hours
BOSTON (CBS) -- Five people were shot overnight in four different locations in Roxbury and Dorchester, though Boston Police say they don't believe any of the shootings were connected.
"Last night was a busy night, and hopefully it was out of the ordinary, but we're working hard to solve these cases," Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker.
In Roxbury, one person was shot around 2 a.m. on Holworthy Street, one was shot at the intersection of Shawmut and Lennox Streets, and a man was shot in the upper leg on Cedar Street.
In Dorchester, one person was shot and another was grazed by a bullet inside their home when multiple rounds were fired on Glendale Street. Two cars with bullet holes in them were towed from the scene.
Cendy DaVega's said her father, Juorquem, was in the front room of the Glendale Street home when the bullet hit him.
"I was really scared because at first I thought it was fireworks. When it happened again, that's when I knew it was gunshots," she said.
He was treated after the bullet grazed his head, and released after receiving treatment.
"He's OK. He went to work. He went to the hospital, then he came back and said he was fine."
"It's scary, very scary," Juorquem DaVega said. "Is it an accident? I don't know what happened."
No arrests have yet been made in any of the shootings.
On Thursday night, Boston Police arrested a man with a gun near Northeastern University's Matthews Arena. The heavy police presence alarmed the Madison Park High School graduates as commencement wrapped up.
"That's shocking that something could have happened, but thank God it didn't," said graduate Amare Brimade.
Mayor Marty Walsh expressed disappointment that his officers had a busy night.
"Certainly sad, we're concerned about it," Walsh said, "We're going to continue to be diligent. We have a summer plan that we're moving forward on now. Hopefully we can have a safe summer."
Commissioner Evans said crime overall is down 10 percent, but shootings are up.
"I think it goes to what Mayor Walsh and myself are continually saying, is that there are way too many guns out there," Evans said. "The day before, we chased down an individual who was firing a gun. We got close to 300 guns already off the street."
He hopes the warmer weather will not lead to even more violence.
"That's why we've been working on summer strategies to make sure we have a quiet summer, and let's pray for a quiet summer," he said.
He and the Boston Police Department are asking for the community's help in curbing summer gun violence.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports