Two people are dead -- including a local high school student -- and multiple people were injured in four separate shooting incidents that broke out less than 24 hours after the 4th of July celebrations in Boston.
The first shooting took place on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, followed by one in Shawmut avenue in Roxbury, followed by another shooting on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester and finally at Donwood Terrace and Gladeside Street in Mattapan.
The three people injured in the Jamaica Plain shooting are expected to be OK.
One man was found with gunshot wounds in the Shawmut Avenue incident. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Shortly before 6 a.m. a person was shot on Blue Hill Ave. in Dorchester and is suffering from life threatening injuries.
Then, just before 12:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, police found a male and a female with gunshot wounds inside a car in Mattapan. The female is expected to survive, but the man later died.
Family members identified the Mattapan victim as 17-year-old Christian Cousins, who they said would have been a senior at Stoughton High School in the fall. The school district said in a statement they are saddened for Christian's loss and the other shooting victim, who is also a student in Stoughton.
“It is never easy to deal with the loss of a student, especially under these circumstances,” the district said in a statement Saturday. “Our thoughts are with Christian’s family, friends, and teachers, as well as the whole Stoughton High community.”
Christian's family also issued a statement of its own in the wake of his death:
We have lost our beloved Christian Cousins. Deeply loved by his family, he was someone very special to us. He loved to travel, exploring many countries with his family, and he was well-cultured with a deep appreciation for life.
Christian was a member of the Stoughton High School community and had a passion for entrepreneurship and cars. Having just received his Car Wrap Technician certification, he and his close friend started a business. Furthermore he and his brother ran a successful car rental business on Turo in California, where he planned to live after graduation and grow the business.
Like many teenage boys, Christian loved basketball and played in the AAU basketball leagues.
Being a gentle soul, Christian freely extended love to his family and his close-knit circle of friends. Christian had an amazing future ahead of him. This senseless act of violence has deprived us of the opportunity to watch this young man achieve his full potential.
We appreciate your support and prayers and kindly request privacy as we navigate this difficult time.
Boston has now seen 6 homicides this year, down from 20 by this time last year.
“It’s unacceptable and always devastating whenever we are at night woken up to lives taken in our city. Quick response at each of the situations. Good amount of info available and BPD is pursuing that.” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
No arrests have been announced, and all four shootings remain under investigation.
