A 14-year-old boy was killed and another youth was wounded by gunfire last night in Roslindale, with Boston police scouring the neighborhood for suspects.
The unidentified teenager was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim, an unidentified male, was taken to the pediatric unit of Boston Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Officer John Boyle, a police spokesman, said the shootings appeared to be related, but it was not certain whether both were shot with the same gun.
Police arrived at 631 Cummins Highway, near the Roslindale-Mattapan line, at about 6:05 p.m. and found the 14-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Homicide detectives urged people who have information about a male wearing a gold or yellow hooded sweat shirt to contact police. Detectives also want to interview potential witnesses who were aboard an MBTA bus that was traveling on Cummins Highway at the time of the shooting.
The two victims were shot within a block of each other, near the Born Again Evangelistic Outreach Ministry Church at 631 Cummins Highway, which started its Friday evening service last night as police investigated outside.
"Any time a tragedy like this happens at the door of our church I have a strong feeling God is saying something," said Bishop Hessie L. Harris, the church's founder. "We need to come together, to bring the leaders of our community together."
A spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has spoken out recently against youth violence, said he was unavailable for comment.
The area, where Cummins Highway intersects Greenfield Road, is in Mattapan, resident said. It is known as a gathering spot for young men, and has been the scene of other recent violence.
In October, a man was shot and wounded at a Sunoco gas station at the intersection. A sign on the gas station's window yesterday: "Please consider our neighborhood. Turn down your music. Otherwise we reserve the right not to serve you."
One of the victims last night collapsed on Keisha Williams's porch. "I heard a couple of shots while I was in the bathroom," she said. "Then there was a guy lying on the porch."
Williams, 27, said the male appeared motionless as emergency crews arrived. She said police entered her apartment with guns drawn and questioned her 9-year-old son about the shooting, frightening her family.
On the sidewalk outside the Born Again church, a black hat with red stripes lay on the ground, marked with a yellow police placard as evidence.
As congregants streamed into the church at about 8 p.m. to attend a Christmas service, police directed them around a maze of yellow crime scene tape. Inside, the churchgoers, clapped and sang with fervor despite the tragedy that had just occurred.
Harris said he is going to meet with other religious, community, and political leaders in the coming weeks to discuss youth violence.
"We plan to try to empower our young people so that these types of tragedies could be eliminated or cured," he said last night. "The community is the only one who can change this."
Harris said that city ministers have become alarmed at the increase in violence in recent years. Last night's slaying was the 72d homicide in the city this year. Last year at this time, there were 73 homicides in Boston. Boston finished 2005 with 75 homicides.
"We're seeing things that have never happened before," Harris said, adding that the age of the victim was shocking. "That's heartbreaking -- they're babies."
Police asked anyone with information to contact detectives at 617-343-4470 or remain anonymous by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-494-TIPS.
The unidentified teenager was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim, an unidentified male, was taken to the pediatric unit of Boston Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Officer John Boyle, a police spokesman, said the shootings appeared to be related, but it was not certain whether both were shot with the same gun.
Police arrived at 631 Cummins Highway, near the Roslindale-Mattapan line, at about 6:05 p.m. and found the 14-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Homicide detectives urged people who have information about a male wearing a gold or yellow hooded sweat shirt to contact police. Detectives also want to interview potential witnesses who were aboard an MBTA bus that was traveling on Cummins Highway at the time of the shooting.
The two victims were shot within a block of each other, near the Born Again Evangelistic Outreach Ministry Church at 631 Cummins Highway, which started its Friday evening service last night as police investigated outside.
"Any time a tragedy like this happens at the door of our church I have a strong feeling God is saying something," said Bishop Hessie L. Harris, the church's founder. "We need to come together, to bring the leaders of our community together."
A spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has spoken out recently against youth violence, said he was unavailable for comment.
The area, where Cummins Highway intersects Greenfield Road, is in Mattapan, resident said. It is known as a gathering spot for young men, and has been the scene of other recent violence.
In October, a man was shot and wounded at a Sunoco gas station at the intersection. A sign on the gas station's window yesterday: "Please consider our neighborhood. Turn down your music. Otherwise we reserve the right not to serve you."
One of the victims last night collapsed on Keisha Williams's porch. "I heard a couple of shots while I was in the bathroom," she said. "Then there was a guy lying on the porch."
Williams, 27, said the male appeared motionless as emergency crews arrived. She said police entered her apartment with guns drawn and questioned her 9-year-old son about the shooting, frightening her family.
On the sidewalk outside the Born Again church, a black hat with red stripes lay on the ground, marked with a yellow police placard as evidence.
As congregants streamed into the church at about 8 p.m. to attend a Christmas service, police directed them around a maze of yellow crime scene tape. Inside, the churchgoers, clapped and sang with fervor despite the tragedy that had just occurred.
Harris said he is going to meet with other religious, community, and political leaders in the coming weeks to discuss youth violence.
"We plan to try to empower our young people so that these types of tragedies could be eliminated or cured," he said last night. "The community is the only one who can change this."
Harris said that city ministers have become alarmed at the increase in violence in recent years. Last night's slaying was the 72d homicide in the city this year. Last year at this time, there were 73 homicides in Boston. Boston finished 2005 with 75 homicides.
"We're seeing things that have never happened before," Harris said, adding that the age of the victim was shocking. "That's heartbreaking -- they're babies."
Police asked anyone with information to contact detectives at 617-343-4470 or remain anonymous by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-494-TIPS.
