A juvenile was shot in the leg during an altercation with another youth in Chelsea, Massachusetts, early this morning. The incident took place on Fifth Street and resulted in the victim being hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Chelsea Police have identified a person of interest in connection to the shooting, as reported by NBC Boston.
Shortly after the Fifth Street episode, another shooting was reported on the 50 block of Washington Avenue. Officers detained two juveniles and recovered two firearms from the scene. According to the Chelsea Police, both investigations are fluid and ongoing, and arrests are likely in both cases. Witnesses near the scene described rapid police response. "We saw what was happening and the cops were on the scene quick," Joneal Brown told 7NEWS.
As a result of the morning's violence, Chelsea High School was briefly locked down, though it was lifted around noon and school activities proceeded as scheduled. Police have not released additional information regarding the potential motives behind the shootings or the conditions of those involved.
The string of gunfire has elevated concern in the community. "After they cordoned off the scene, they started looking around basically for evidence," Mitch Severt told 7NEWS. The recovery of three guns adds to the gravity of the situations as police work to piece together the events of the morning.
