Teenager killed in Worcester's first homicide since 2016

WORCESTER, Mass. — A teen has been killed in what is Worcester's first homicide of 2018 after a full year of no firearm fatalities.

Worcester Police say authorities found a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound on Holland Road early Sunday.

Preliminary investigations indicate a group was walking back to a nearby home when several shots were fired, police say. After the shooting, a man was seen getting into a small car, and he then drove away from the scene.

The four other teens present for the shooting were interviewed by police, and detectives are still investigating the incident. They have yet to arrest any suspects.

One of the victim's friends, Bishop Brown, said the victim wasn't one to get into any trouble.

“He wasn’t into gangs and all that, he was just a good kid and stayed in school," Brown said. "Probably just hanging out with the wrong friends, I think that’s what happened.”

Another friend, Aziz Brown, said he was shocked that his friend had died in the shooting.

"We just woke up to the sad news that he just got shot," Aziz Brown said. “At a young age like that with gun violence, it’s crazy."

Neighbors nearby told police they thought the shots were fireworks going off.

The victim in the shooting has not been identified, and will not have his name released until his family is notified.

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Last year, there were 25 people shot in Worcester. None of them died.

MassLive.com reports that police said 2017 was the first year in more than 25 years Worcester didn't see a homicide by firearm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group