Water St. Shooting: Further Proof that Gun Violence Trend Continues in Worcester
Monday, March 09, 2015
The shooting, which occurred around 1:45 AM, resulted in one victim being shot through his hand. The victim also had received a stab wound to his upper body.
According to WPD, the victim was trying to get away in a motor vehicle in front of 96 Water St. Police called for an ambulance and the victim was transported to UMass Medical Center
At UMass, "the victim was uncooperative and provided little information with regard to the suspect's description and the circumstanced leading up to the shooting," according to a WPD press release.
Worcester Police investigators went to the scene of the shooting, processed evidence and interviewed a number of witnesses. Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit was also called in for assistance, but provided negative results in the search for the suspect.
More Shootings Following Record Year
In 2014, a record number of shootings occurred in the city of Worcester. WPD responded to 38 shooting incidents. The previous record was 33 in 2005.
Over the last three years, the number of shooting incidents has continued to increase from year to year.
Recent shootings reported by the Worcester PD include the shootings of two males on Ingleside Avenue on March 1. The victims were 19 and 21 years old
According to the victims, they were both sitting in the 21-year-old victim's motor vehicle and a male approached the vehicle, opened the passenger side door and demanded their belongings. The victim immediately sped off and the suspect fired at the two as they drove off.
The suspect is described as a black male, early to mid 20s, approximately 5’10" to 6’0" tall, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and grey sweatpants.
Teens and Firearms: Worcester's Concerns Continue
In December, GoLocal Worcester reported on the growing amount of arrests made in the city. At the time, GoLocal reported in 2014 there had been at least 13 reported shooting victims under the age of 20. Over the same period of time, here have been at least 17 arrests of suspects under the age of 20. In both cases, the ages ranged from 15-19 years-old.
"People having access to illegal firearms is very troubling, even more so when teenagers are involved. The possibility of them using a firearm in an inappropriate manner is very high. Worcester has witnessed an increase in firearm use among teens in recent months and several people have been injured, some fatally. There is no question that some youth are carrying weapons for their own protection while sadly other are looking to do harm to others," said Samuel Martin, Executive Director of Worcester Youth Center.
On February 4, WPD arrested a 19-year-old for multiple drug charges, possession of a firearm and for a past armed robbery, and a 16-year-old for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition without an FID Card and Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License.
Martin told GoLocal, "The availability of illegal firearms is a major contributor to the problem and makes for all around unsafe situations. I hope that young people understand that carrying illegal firearms brings a high level of community and family disruption and personal risk."
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