The New Year got off to a horrific start in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood after an early morning double shooting left one person dead and another hurt.
Boston police said officers were called to the area of 1601 Blue Hill Ave. just before 6 a.m. Sunday and found one man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on scene. Shortly after, officers found a second man in the area, also suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital with injuries that are believed to be non-life threatening.
Police identified the man who was killed as Jymaal Cox of Mattapan, and family members told NBC10 Boston the 33-year-old was a father of two children.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Rev. Kevin Peterson, a local activist who has been calling for solutions to gun violence in the area, spoke to NBC10 Boston on Sunday evening and said the victim is an extended family member of his. He says the shooting happened after a New Year's party, and the gunfire may have started over something as trivial as a spilled drink.
“It is incredibly disappointing to begin a new year on a note of violence and murder," he said. "A dispute broke out. It may have been connected to a spilled drink."
"The family is in shock and disbelief," he added.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Neighbors nearby are feeling uneasy after what happened.
"This makes me feel unsafe," said one woman.
Another woman who didn't want to show her face on camera said, "I was in my room and my window was cracked open, and I had heard a loud bang. And then about three or four minutes after that, I heard a very loud and agonizing moan. They definitely sounded like they were in pain."
Police have not released any information regarding a suspect, or said what may have led up to the shooting. No arrests have been made.
"Again, we call for members of the community if they know of anything that happened here at this after-hours party, to report it to the police,” Peterson said.
Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact homicide detectives at 617-343-4470. People that want to help the police anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers tip line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).
An investigation is ongoing into the city's first homicide of 2023.
