Boston police, city leaders meeting to discuss gun violence

BOSTON — The increasing temperatures typically bring increasing crime rates in Boston, but city leaders said the recent uptick in violence shows they have a lot of work to do.

Just within the last two days, police responded to two shootings and two fatal stabbings.

In the most recent shooting, a police cruiser was less than 50 yards away. That shooting resulted in the death of a person believed to be between 18- and 21-years old.

MORE: 1 killed, 1 injured in Dorchester shooting

Boston 25 News has learned that Mayor Marty Walsh will hold a community meeting to try and get residents to work together to end the recent rise in violence.

Boston 25 News cameras were at the scene of the most recent shooting on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester Thursday night. Boston police believe it was both targeted and gang related.

A 14-year-old was shot in the foot and another young man was killed. Police have not yet identified the victim, but he is believed to be between 18- and 21-years-old.

MORE: 15-year-old arrested for deadly stabbing in Roxbury

During the day Thursday there was a fatal stabbing on Warrant Street and another Wednesday night in Boston.

From January to July 2016, there were 94 shooting victims in the city. During that same time period in 2017, there have now been 117 shooting victims.

Boston police Commissioner William Evans admitted he expected to see an uptick in violence around the Fourth of July, but not to this level.

“I know the Mayor and myself and our department, our top priority has been the violence and getting guns off the street, but unfortunately as we’ve seen over the last week with the uptick in shootings, we have a lot of work to do,” Evans said.

Police are continuing to search for suspects in Thursday night’s shootings.

Police were able to make an arrest in the fatal stabbing Thursday. Police said the suspect is a 15-year-old and he will be in Roxbury District Court on Friday.

Cox Media Group