BOSTON — An investigation is underway after a teenage student was shot outside of a high school in Boston on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Officers responding to a report of a shooting at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School on Washington Street in Dorchester just after 9:30 a.m. found an 18-year-old boy suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, according to Boston Police Superintendent Felipe Colon.
The victim, whose name was not released, was rushed to a local hospital. He is said to be in stable condition.
Police and school administrators placed the building in safe mode immediately following the incident.
A witness told Boston 25 that she heard at least three gunshots followed by the screams of students.
JUST IN: Woman who lives on Washington St. across from Jeremiah Burke High School says she heard 3 gunshots, students screaming this morning. She saw a teenage girl being carried out on a stretcher @boston25 pic.twitter.com/Ufd4g0SfXR
— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) October 4, 2022
A 17-year-old boy matching the description of the shooter was taken into custody shortly after officers arrived at the school. Supt. Colon noted that a firearm was recovered.
According to Boston Public Safety, notifications about the shooting were not delivered to parents until after school was finished for the day.
Boston 25 asked a BPS official what protocol was in place when a shooting happens near or at a school but the official said did not have that information on hand.
Boston Schools superintendent Mary Skipper acknowledged the failure of communication Tuesday night in a letter to families.
“We also must communicate with our families swiftly and efficiently; that did not happen as quickly as it should have today and we apologize. We are currently reviewing our internal systems to ensure such a lag in communication never occurs again,” the letter read in part.
Boston Police say the 17-year-old will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court, Juvenile Division on charges of Delinquent to wit Assault with intent to Murder, Assault by means of a Dangerous Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Firearm Discharged within 500 feet of a Dwelling, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm on School Property.
Video from the scene showed dozens of detectives and officers scouring the area for evidence. A truck was also spotted towing a red sedan away from the crime scene.
This shooting comes just weeks after a student was stabbed inside the school back on Sept. 12.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden called the situation “tragic,” adding that his office is “collectively concerned” for the Burke High School community.
Local activist Eugene Rivers called the shooting “disgraceful,” urging local officials to do more to protect students. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu vowed to do just that.
“What happened today is not OK,” Wu said during a news conference. “We will do everything we can at Boston Public Schools to support our students.”
The neighborhood was roped off with yellow police tape and motorists were kept away for hours while investigators worked at the scene.
There were no additional details immediately available.
Hayden’s office is assisting Boston police with the investigation and Hayden will attend the arraignment.
“On Monday and Tuesday of this week alone, my office picked up five new cases involving illegal guns. When you have students packing guns along with their school books it’s perfectly clear how perilous this problem has become. I dearly hope this public crisis will get the societal attention it deserves,” said Hayden in a statement sent to Boston 25 News.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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