A 19-year-old man is set to appear in court Tuesday following a violent altercation that left a 17-year-old boy hospitalized after a stabbing in Chelsea. The chaotic scene was captured on surveillance footage with individuals running and wielding bats on Hawthorn Street near Essex Street around 3:45 p.m. Monday, and a minor was subsequently found with a serious chest wound. The suspect, who remains unnamed, faces charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and property destruction, as reported by NBC Boston.
With the area still reeling from the incident, police have taken two into custody and are confidently continuing to identify others possibly involved. "It was a large crowd that was here so to determine who actually was involved with the crime we're confident that we have at least a majority of people who were involved with the stabbing," Chelsea Police Capt. David Betz said in a statement obtained by NBC Boston.
The injured teenager was urgently taken to the hospital for his wound, which was initially believed to penetrate his chest deeply. The boy's injuries, while serious, were deemed non-life-threatening, and he continued to receive treatment into the evening, according to The Boston Globe. As the suspect is prepared to be arraigned, Capt. Betz has indicated that further arrests and charges could be forthcoming as the investigation progresses. He reassured the community, stating that additional police resources will be available in the area “to ensure the residents do not feel threatened by what we believe wasn’t random in nature.” The nearby Shurtleff Early Learning Center enacted a soft lockdown as a precaution, although the students were never in any immediate danger, Capt. Betz confirmed to The Boston Globe.
