Surge in shootings plagues Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan

July 07--The number of people wounded by gunfire in Boston is up nearly 30 percent this year, prompting an urgent City Hall meeting today to brainstorm solutions ahead of the sweltering, often violent summer months.

Police already have deployed most of the class of 53 newly graduated officers to Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan to combat gang-fueled gunplay.

And Mayor Martin J. Walsh has called police brass, community leaders, clergy and department heads to today's meeting.

"It's a strategy meeting, changing the strategy of what we've done so far," Walsh told the Herald yesterday.

"My concern is that there are people shooting each other. My concern is one loss of life is too many. My concern is that there will be potentially innocent people that get caught in a drive-by," he said. "Those are the things we have to work on."

According to Boston police statistics, 123 people were injured by gunshots as of July 4 this year. During that same period last year, 95 people were shot. While gun murders are roughly even -- 21 this year, compared to 22 through the Fourth last year -- the sharp spike in non-fatal shootings represent a 29.5 percent surge, mainly in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.

There were 30 shootings in Dorchester this year through the holiday Tuesday, compared with 17 in the same period in 2016 -- a 76.5 percent increase this year. Mattapan shootings are up 42 percent this year, with 34 people compared to 24 last year for the same period.

In Jamaica Plain, 12 people have been struck by gunfire so far this year, up from five for the same period in 2016.

"If you have a high number of shootings before the summer begins, they will retaliate throughout the summer. Police need to be more vigilant because the summer has just begun," said state Rep. Russell Holmes, D-Mattapan.

"My biggest concern is we seem to show up after the shootings. We do peace walks after it happens," Holmes said. "We really need to be addressing the tip of the spear, addressing gang members in advance."

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the leg and a man near him was hit in the chest and died in Dorchester last night as cops patrolled just 50 yards away. Earlier in the day, police say, a 15-year-old boy fatally stabbed an 18-year-old man in Dudley Square.

Police Commissioner William B. Evans said in addition to the new recruits being deployed in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan, officers from the gang and bike units also work in those neighborhoods.

The department also plans to increase interactions with the community through events such as visits to YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs, basketball clinics, ice cream socials and more than a dozen flashlight walks throughout the city.

"It's troubling. The kids are getting younger and younger, and the guns they're getting are more powerful," Evans said.

"Our biggest concern is the non-fatal shootings in the same neighborhoods. We're putting a ton of resources in those areas, despite that, we're still seeing it go on. ... We got to come up with a solution of why our young kids are getting shot on the street."

Evans noted, however, overall crime is down this year about 10 percent and the city has seen a 6 percent dip in violent crime.

Emmett Folgert, with the Dorchester Youth Collaborative, said gangs in the neighborhood have been active all year.

"We've been getting reports on an increased number of shootings. All of it, basically, gangs vs. gangs," Folgert said. "I want to see us do more gang prevention. Once they get formed, it's more and more difficult.

O'Ryan Johnson contributed to this report.

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