DORCHESTER (WBZ-AM) -- It was a violent Fourth of July in one neighborhood in Boston, with multiple shootings taking place--one fatal, and two just blocks from where kids were playing.
One man was killed after being shot multiple times just before 10 p.m. near Brookford and Dacia Streets in Dorchester. The man was believed to be in his 30s, and died of his injuries after being taken to Boston Medical Center.
Boston Police have identified the victim as Luis Martin Pinales-Perez, 31, of Boston. So far there have been no arrests in connection to this killing.
Earlier, little after 6:30 p.m., shots rang out on Fayson Street in Dorchester, not far from where children were playing in a bouncy house at an outdoor cookout. A short time later, there was a second shooting scene on nearby Maywood Street. In all, four people were shot at those two locations, with one taken to Boston Medical Center in critical condition. Shell casings from three different guns were found at the scene; it appears an argument boiled over into a shooting.
Resident Wanda Miller told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kendall Buhl she thought the sound of gunfire was just fireworks. She said she ran out into the street to make sure none of the 20 children who had been playing nearby were safe.
"Everybody was running that way, and I was like, what the hell's going on?" Miller said. "They're like, get back, they're shooting. So I ran out here to make sure there wasn't none of the kids out here, and that's when I saw the gentleman on the ground."
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said it's frustrating that gunfire would erupt so close to children.
"I think it spilled out of a party, and unfortunately nobody fights anymore with their hands, everybody has a gun," Evans said. "It's ridiculous when shots are fired with young kids steps away. If that's not a wake-up call as we proceed to the summer, I don't know what is."
There have been no arrests so far, and police are still investigating. Evans said it's frustrating they weren't able to get any tips from witnesses.
"Obviously, there was a lot of people here," Evans said. "Not as much cooperation as we'd like."
The violence is a concern for many living in the area. One area resident told WBZ-TV, "They have guns, so we stay in our house."
Anyone with information about any of the shootings is asked to contact Boston Police.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports