Chaos erupted on a quiet Massachusetts town common Friday night when at least two men were left critically wounded after a stabbing event in Northbridge. According to NBC10 Boston, the violent encounter involved multiple individuals and bicycles, with state police confirming a weapon found at the scene.
The incident, which unfolded sometime after 9 p.m. in the Whitinsville section's Town Common, saw Church and Park Streets blocked off with red crime scene tape. Investigators toiled to process the evidence, only clearing to reopen the road around 6 a.m. the following morning. Despite Northbridge's reputation as a quieter locale, the sudden outbreak of violence jolted its townspeople, prompting a heavy response from emergency services, as described in an interview with a local barbershop owner of 36 years, who observed the problem area often attract trouble. "They seem to always congregate in the park and sleep there or whatever but the police never really—there’s not a whole lot that goes on around here. I mean we are a country bumpkin town," the owner told NBC10 Boston.
Details of what exactly prompted the altercation are still hazy, with authorities withholding names and specific motives during the ongoing investigation. Boston 25 News reported a substantial police presence on the scene, with officers from both state and local levels, as well as at least one parked ambulance on the street adjacent to Linwood Avenue.
As curiosity and concern spread, residents gathered to collectively question and peer through the layers of unfolding events. "A large crowd of state and local police flocked to the town common in Northbridge Friday night, investigating a large scene," Boston 25 News relayed. For a community more acquainted with peace than pandemonium, the sight of red and blue lights against the night sky unquestionably served to unsettle, as well as to remind that safety can never be absolutely assumed. Additional information is expected to be disclosed as police progress through their investigative checks and balances.
