15-year-old boy killed in Boston shooting, the city’s 3rd homicide in 24 hours
“This violence needs to stop,” Mayor Marty Walsh said during a press conference Thursday night in Roxbury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veBcpV9vw8Y
A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in Roxbury on Thursday night, becoming the city’s third homicide victim in 24 hours.
Boston police said the shooting was reported around 10 p.m. — initially as a call for fireworks or possible gunshots. When officers arrived at the scene in front of 39 Mount Pleasant St., they found the 15-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner William Gross said at a press conference at the scene that authorities later learned two other gunshot victims, believed to be connected to the same scene, had taken themselves to local hospitals.
“It’s a very active crime scene,” Gross said. “We have our detectives and crime scene response unit looking for witnesses and processing the scene. So if anyone, as we always ask, if you’ve seen anything, please contact us.”
The shooting in Roxbury followed just a few hours after police responded to a fatal shooting in Mattapan.
“It’s been a busy and violent night folks,” Gross said in Roxbury. “But again, we’ve shown that the people in the community, again, are not desensitized to violence. They do care. They called us, and we appreciate that.”
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins pointed out that the shooting of the 15-year-old took place across the street from a park, while the homicide earlier in the evening took place outside the home of a family with young children.
“Obviously, the individuals who are harmed or shot or killed are deeply impacted by what happened, but the communities are impacted as well … We have to start working on making sure that people feel comfortable coming forward,” Rollins said. “My team has been on the phone with respect to the three homicides we’ve had in 24 hours with the Boston Police Department, working hard to try to solve these crimes. So please come forward, we will get you protection, we are working as hard as we can to help you. But we need to make sure that this Fourth of July weekend, families are able to be safe and enjoy themselves.”
Mayor Marty Walsh echoed the DA’s pleas for anyone with information to come forward and condemned the violence, noting that young children were watching the scene through their windows.
“This violence needs to stop,” he said. “We need to step up as a community, meaning elected officials. We need to get out, we need to talk to people, we need to create opportunities. I’m coming to these scenes and, whether it’s a juvenile or a younger person losing their life, they lose their life far too early. Regardless of what they’re involved with in their life, they’re losing their life too early.”
Heading into the holiday weekend, he asked anyone involved in violence in the city to “put your guns down,” noting the hardships communities are already facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“If you’re looking for support, if you’re looking for help, reach out to us,” he said. “This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable right now. You’re creating trauma in communities that don’t need trauma right now. Families are concerned about going back to work, families are concerned about putting food on the table, families are concerned about making sure their kids are safe.”
Earlier in the evening, officers responded to a report of a person with a gun in the area of Norfolk and Woolson streets in Mattapan around 8:11 p.m. Police said upon arrival at the scene, officers observed a suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Rafael Santiago of Malden, with a revolver in his hand.
“The officers were able to quickly deescalate the potentially deadly encounter, convincing the armed suspect to drop the firearm after issuing numerous verbal commands,” police said in a statement. “The suspect was then placed in custody and the revolver was safely recovered.”
At the scene, police found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound, who was pronounced dead. Santiago is expected to appear in Dorchester District Court on charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Update: After Santiago’s arraignment, at which he was held without bail, Rollins’s office identified the victim as 22-year-old Justin Cannady in a news release:
According to prosecutors, Santiago approached Cannady, 22, and a second man in the area of Columbia Road yesterday and accused the men of stealing a scooter from a relative of Santiago. A verbal altercation ensued, after which Santiago went to retrieve a firearm. Santiago then went to a Hosmer Street address to confront the men once again. He is captured on video brandishing what appears to be a firearm during the altercation. He allegedly pursued the victims to the area of Norfolk and Woolson streets and fired his weapon, killing Cannady. Boston Police officers encountered Santiago in the area of the shooting and were able to take him in to custody.
The first fatal shooting on Thursday occurred around 12:19 a.m. in Dorchester. Police said officers responded to reports of shots fired in the area of 109 Norfolk St. where they located a man suffering from a gunshot wound near Armandine and Milton streets. The man, later identified as 45-year-old Rashawn Washington-Clark of Dorchester, was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about any of the incidents to contact police either through the CrimeStoppers Tip Line — 1-800-494-TIPS — or by reaching out to the city’s homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.
Officials urged anyone in need of emotional support related to the events to contact the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team, which provides free, 24/7 support, by calling 617-431-0125 or by visiting BPHC.org/trauma.
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