Violent crime has increased in Boston in the past week, according to police reports, and public safety advocates and residents have expressed mounting concern.
There have been three homicides and six nonfatal shootings in Boston since Oct. 11, according to the most recent data from the Boston Police Department. The majority of recent shootings have occured in Dorchester, while Roxbury and Mattapan have also seen several instances of gun violence.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh responded to this streak of violence at the reopening of the Boston Centers for Youth and Families Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury Saturday, calling for renewed efforts to reduce violent crime in the city.
Still, as recently as Monday, a 24-year-old woman was fatally shot in the area of Charles Street and Ditson Street in Dorchester at about 9:36 p.m., police said in a statement. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man in his 30s was also shot in the area of Columbia Road and Geneva Avenue in Dorchester around 9:31 p.m. Friday, police said. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot in Dorchester around 12 Vinson St. at about 2:08 a.m. Thursday, police said. He was identified as Marlon Richardson of Dorchester.
All three incidents remain under investigation.
Despite the recent influx in violent crimes, crime has decreased slightly overall in most of Boston’s districts from Jan. 2017 to Oct. 2018, according to a crime report published by the Boston Police Department.
Boston is also home to many organizations advocating for public safety, including Mothers for Justice and Equality, an organization founded in 2010 for mothers who lose children due to violence within their communities.
Monalisa Smith, president and CEO of MJE, said the city should place more of an emphasis on mental health as a means of preventing gun violence, especially in schools and churches.
“There’s a lot being done to reduce crime in Boston,” Smith said. “But, I think one of the things that can be done is that we can put more mental health services where people who are being impacted and affected by violence are.”
Smith commended the state for its efforts thus far, but also said there is more work to be done in preventing gun violence.
“We have to recognize that Massachusetts is a leader in this area, so we have to figure out a way to stop these guns from getting in the hands of people who have issues and can take a life so simply,” she said.
Several Boston residents said they were unsurprised by this pattern of consecutive violence.
Eike Wintzer, 54, of Jamaica Plain, said that while these violent incidents are upsetting, they are not new to Boston.
“You know, it’s unfortunate that there’s just been a few shootings so close together right now,” Wintzer said. “Over the years, it’s been pretty good in Boston.”
Steven Richardson, 38, of Dorchester, also said gun violence in Boston is a normal occurrence.
“It’s been like that for years, to be honest,” Richardson said. “That’s all you see out here.”
Brighton resident Holly Brennan, 24, said she recognizes Boston as a hotspot for gun violence, but admitted it can still be scary and surprising when the violence happens all at once.
“I just moved from a neighborhood that had a double shooting right down the road from me, and that spooked me,” Brennan said. “Gun violence is a problem in America, so it’s not totally surprising that there’s one in Boston, too.
“But, I think everyone’s a little surprised about it.”
Brennan, who has lived in Boston for three years, said she thinks the issue of gun violence reaches far beyond the city itself.
“It’s good that the community is coming together to address it, but it’s definitely a nationwide problem that I think needs government-type interference, not just community,” Brennan said.
Ayodele Abinusawa contributed to the reporting of this article.
