METHUEN, Mass. (AP) β Seven people were shot and wounded, and an eighth was hurt while running away when gunfire erupted at a large gathering of young people in Methuen, Massachusetts, authorities said Sunday.
The gunfire began just before 2 a.m. after hundreds of people gathered for a pop-up party organized on social media, officials said at a news conference. The victims range in age from 17 to 22 years old, officials said. Two of them were in critical condition.
βThis is another tragic case of gun violence that brings us together this morning,β said Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker. βItβs pretty amazing that with the amount of ballistics evidence that weβre recovering that more people werenβt hurt.β Methuen is located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of Boston on the border with New Hampshire.
Authorities declined to comment on the number of suspects. No arrests have been made, and no weapons have been recovered.
Metheun Police Chief Scott McNamara said authorities have been monitoring other βhot spotsβ where such gatherings typically take place, but Sundayβs attack happened in a new location and was the first to turn violent.
βUsually these meet-ups consist of very loud music, disorderly conduct, sometimes drinking,β he said. βWe try to take action where we can to discourage it, and weβve been fairly successful in that regard. Unfortunately we did experience a tragic incident here in Metheun last night.β
