No arrests in Dorchester shooting of 5; city officials call for more data on illegal guns
BOSTON – The search continues for suspects in a Dorchester shooting that injured five, including two children.
Five people, including two juveniles, were shot Sunday night in Dorchester. One of the young victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
The shooting happened just after 8:30 p.m. outside the Franklin Field housing complex at 50 Ames Street. The five victims included three adults and two victims under the age of 18.
"I'm angry; I'm upset as a Mom," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at a press conference late Sunday. "I'm praying with all my heart for those in the hospital to recover."
"We need the help of our community here," District Attorney Kevin Hayden said. "We hope that someone will step forward with information."
People who frequent the housing complex say they are familiar with the children.
"I feel the pain in my chest because it's the same age for my kids," said Bob Cheri.
The tragedy comes as Boston Police say shooting incidents in the city are down, but the recovery of illegal firearms is up.
Boston Police Superintendent Felipe Colon shared data with members of the Boston City Council, Monday, during a hearing to discuss an ordinance which would require the police to create a report which explains the flow of illegal guns into Boston.
Colon told the Council that there have been 89 shooting incidents in 2023, a decrease of 18% compared to the same time in 2022.
However, Boston Police have already recovered roughly 600 "crime guns" off the streets this year.
There were 695 crime guns recovered by Boston police in 2022, an increase of 7% from 2021. Of those, 10% were considered stolen from Massachusetts, Maine, and Georgia.
104 were privately manufactured or so-called "ghost guns." These are firearms that have no serial number and can be bought online and assembled at home.
People who live in the Ames Street area including those who have already been victimized by gun violence say the data means little to them when the scars of violence last so long.
"Everybody gotta pay attention and make some changes," one man said.
Authorities offered no details on what may have led up to the violent incident. Anonymous tips about the crime can be made to the Crime Stoppers Unity by texting the word "TIP" to CRIME (27463).