A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg at a Charlestown playground Sunday and police are still looking for the teen’s assailant.
The shooting occurred shortly after noon according to police at a playground near Monument Street and Walford Way.
When police arrived they found the teen suffering from a single gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
This is the second shooting of a teen in as many weeks in Charlestown.
Two weeks ago a juvenile was shot near 53 Monument Street at 12 a.m. on March 26.
In that incident police responded to a call for shots fired and located the boy suffering from non-life-threatening injuries from a single gunshot wound. The teen was transported to a local hospital and was treated.
There have been no arrests made in either case.
“People carrying guns and being so willing to use them present terrible threats to our communities,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. “But what’s also extremely troubling here is where these incidents took place—including a playground in Charlestown. These are locations where people go about their daily lives.”
Hayden, who last week called the gun issue “a societal problem that demands a societal response.”
“So far this year police have pulled more than 160 illegal guns off of Boston’s streets, including five loaded handguns from juveniles just this week,” said Hayden.
The shooting comes at a time when Hayden and public safety officials begin to plan for summer months, when rates of violence often rise as the academic year ends and young people have less access to structured activities and services available through schools. Hayden’s office works closely with partners in the community, law enforcement, and government to provide meaningful opportunities to young people and to ensure access to services, resources, and programming necessary to their wellbeing and success.
Hayden’s office has launched a rapid indictment firearms program aimed at moving gun cases into Superior Court more quickly for disposition, and he said his office anticipates announcing further measures to address gun-related crimes.
“But the concern and response must spring from a larger foundation than criminal cases and court involvement,” said Haydent. “Our office stands ready to work with every facet of our public and private sectors to bring attention and action to this pressing issue.”