Three suspects who were taken into custody Tuesday night in connection with a shooting on the Boston Common have been released after being interviewed, police said Wednesday.
The victim — a 19-year-old Hyde Park man — is still fighting for his life after the shooting, which was reported just before 7 p.m. by the bandstand near Tremont Street.
Police arrested two teens who fled on mopeds and another that fled on foot. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans had previously said all three suspects and the victim were known to each other and the shooting was not random.
Officers were back on scene canvasing the area for evidence on Wednesday.
According to city leaders, the issue at hand isn't just that a man was shot in one of the most-visited destinations of the city, but the ages of those believed to be involved.
"There's way too many guns in the hands of way too many young kids and, unfortunately, kids don't appreciate the value of life," said Police Commissioner William Evans.
Since the beginning of the month, five teenagers have been arrested on gun charges in Boston alone. That includes a 15-year-old.
In all five cases, police report the guns were loaded.
"I think it's a state of emergency," said Monica Cannon, founder of the group 'Violence in Boston.' "It's been that way."
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Cannon said change with teens being able to access guns hasn't been coming from city leaders, therefore, it must come from the ground up.
"Well, it's hard to listen to anyone who won't come into the community and actually engage them," said Cannon when asked if city teens are listening to Evans and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's call to end violence.
Tuesday night, Walsh said this was not the time to point fingers and blame each other, but for everyone to get to work.
"We don't have national gun policy in America and too much access to guns and you can go over the border of Massachusetts and buy a gun," said Walsh. "That's a problem."
Police said Tuesday's shooting was not a random crime.
No other arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
