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Guy begins shooting gun in Jackson Square near school bus and while mayor and police commissioner were nearby

Sue O'Connell of NECN had just gotten out of her car on Centre Street around 3:20 p.m. when a guy pulled out a gun and fired several shots. She reports there was a school bus full of kids right there.

Another witness reported five shots fired.

The gunman did not hot anybody and ran away.

The shooting happened as people gathered a block or so away at Columbus Avenue and Ritchie Street to celebrate a planned Jackson Square recreation center. Mayor Walsh was due to speak at 2:30 to announce a $2-million city grant for the center. In addition to the mayor, Police Commissioner William Evans was at the announcement.

The gunfire was also a block or so away from where Gerrod Brown, 16, was shot to death the night before.

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Comments

Are there neighborhood cameras anywhere to try and document this type of activity?

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Because somewhere out there Americans are vehemently opposed to CCTV. Being married to a Brit who is used to the benefits of CCTV in high-crime areas, I slap my forehead in shame and disgust every time we could have benefited from the same system.

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No to the surveillance state. There needs to be a balance between government powers and protection from government abuse. When you build out the infrastructure for a surveillance state, it gets abused.

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... troublesome spot on the bike path where cyclists speed next to a playground and kids put up barriers on the bike path and throw rocks at the cyclists in protest.
I frequently heard gunshots and witnessed a fatal shooting just up Columbus when I lived in Egleston Sq. One of the best neighborhoods for friendly neighbors, despite the danger, that I ever lived in.

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Yes there is a playground there and yes bikers ride by (I would NOT say "speed".) The playground is quite separate from the bike path and adjacent walking path.

I'll take your word about kids setting up road blocks (although I've never seen that.) If they do, I bet it's not to "protest" anything, they are just being bratty kids.

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Some cyclists are really fast no matter where they are, so it is no surprise that the same people "speed by" the playground. Nevertheless, I completely agree with the OP implying that some cyclists are going too fast for a residential area, though unfortunately the proximity of the path and the way it divides the residences and playground from the sidewalk and T stop means pedestrians will always be impacted by certain heartless cyclists who think they own the path.

In fact, I liken crossing the bike path at Jackson Sq to crossing a road (with cars) -- especially for small children -- so I would completely understand why it's annoying to the residents.

Why does this matter to the topic at hand? Every time I ride past that area I do feel that the residents, who are already hard done by life in general, are being made to also suffer the indignity of fighting with bike traffic. Nowhere else along the SWC do you have anywhere near the level of inconvenience to residents that the Jackson Sq area has to deal with. It's ... really unfair.

I feel guilty every time I pass Jackson Sq on a bike. I almost feel we should be made to walk our bikes there.

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I feel guilty every time I pass Jackson Sq on a bike.

And if you take the Orange line, do you also feel that the residents are feeling the indignity of having to listen to the train speed past?

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Almost as much indignity as having to ride the Orange Line.

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They're space savers.

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but my wife, and hundreds (if not a few thousand, all in all) of cyclists, pedestrians, and runners traverse this section daily.

I don't doubt that kids will toss rocks once in a while because they are little sh*ts sometimes - but barriers, and throwing rocks in protest?

There is no habitual resistance to cyclists going on there.

There is even a hubway station right there - doubtful they would set it up there if the reality is as bad as you describe.

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troublesome spot on the bike path where cyclists speed next to a playground and kids put up barriers on the bike path and throw rocks at the cyclists in protest.

Whaaaaht? Please. I've never seen this and I live there.

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"cyclists speed next to a playground and kids put up barriers on the bike path and throw rocks at the cyclists in protest"

Is that code for "teenagers who jump bicyclists for wallets and iphones"? It's happened to friends of mine on more than one occasion, knocked off their bikes and assaulted while biking on the bicycle path. Get out of here with your apologies. Time for these "kids" to grow up and take some responsibility.

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n/t

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Wow that's it. You figured it out. No-one told these kids to grow up and now you've solved it. Well done. Thank you for that well thought out solution.

No-one told you and your friends to live here btw. There are plenty of other places to spend $2k+ On a 1br.

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I agree with all those who have had only good experiences on the path.

It is true that there was one hopefully isolated bike path incident recently -- someone built a barrier across the path and threw something (possibly crab apples) at passing bicyclists. A couple of cyclists posted photos on FB. The incident was taken seriously and discussed among youth workers, parents & kids. Hopefully that was an isolated incident.

Meanwhile, I think long-ago incidents get repeated a lot and become urban folklore. If you have had any troubling public safety incidents anywhere on the bike path you should report it to BPD so there is an official record.

About bicyclists and speed: in the midst of a conversation about bike path safety around the playground, children expressed concern about the speed of some bicyclists and the attitude of some, saying that some bicyclists swear at the children and make inappropriate gestures at the children. I don't know how common this is -- I've seen high speeds but not the other things -- but it is a concern.

The incident with the barrier was not a protest against bicyclists. [In fact, as the conversation moved from the incident to bike path safety one child asked 'how is this relevant' and others agreed that it wasn't directly relevant, but all aspects of safety, civility and courtesy are at least indirectly connected.]

We're trying to get some markings on the bike path to improve bike safety and playground safety ....and to spread the word that it makes sense to use slow-to-moderate speeds when biking by any playgrounds or other active pedestrian & children's areas.

Southwest Corridor Park supports youth & family programs all along the park, with a philosophy that parks are great assets for community building. This is a sad/troubling time right now. But there are great kids and strong community.

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Past that playground twice a day for 9+ years and have never seen a barrier or rock-throwing kid.

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And I used to ride that path at least once a week. I would agree with the person that said it was more likely robbery than protest. And it would be difficult to pull off during rush hour when there are tons of bikes.

Focus on the real issue. All citizens of Boston deserve safety.

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Indeed, that used to be a problem area for cyclists- kids would jump out or otherwise force the cyclist to stop and then mug them. No idea if it's still a problem though.

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Instead of the story you linked to, there's now an article called "Pushing for Automatic Voter Registration in Mass".

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It's a video of O'Connell's show and begins with an account of the Jackson Square incident (nothing like burying the lede, NECN).

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South End News endorsed Walsh. Is that Sue's paper?

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My report is the opening to the show. The registration segment follows it.

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I was sitting in my car at the intersection of Lamartine and Centre waiting for the light to turn just after this all went down. There were people everywhere, in cars, on bikes, on foot and exiting Jackson Sq. T stop. Lots of school kids were in the vicinity, just out of school. Cop cars were flying in from all directions. It's a miracle no one was hurt. Times like this, I reconsider where I live.

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JP is perfectly safe except for this one area. I avoid it but I'm aware not everyone in JP has that option.

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Mildred Hailey Projects (Bromley Heath) needs to be overhauled like they did Columbia Point. Mismanaged, prostitution and drug dealing is boldly wide open in broad daylight, in and out of the buildings. In front of the liquor store, in front of Yely's, then they walk back and forth from those spots across the street, up the stairs, and right into the Mildred Hailey Apts. The same people every 30 minutes of so. Then they have their "secret" yodeling calls to each other back and forth. One of the women came right up to my husband in the car when he was stuck in traffic, on his way to pick me up at Stop and Shop, and propositioned him. Cops come by when something bad happens, then you don't see them for a long period of time after that. I know there's a gang stronghold in that area. An investigation needs to be done. JP ain't all grassfed beef and doggie parades. How many of those residents are actual registered voters? And somebody must have seen whoever shot that poor 16 old. But they're too afraid to open their mouths.

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society has a mathematical problem: TOO MANY GUNS

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