Trevain Keene

Four people were killed in a flurry of gunfire over the weekend in Dorchester and Mattapan that has sparked renewed concerned about the potential for subsequent retaliatory strikes between warring street gangs.

A 22 year-old Boston man was found shot to death around 6:25 p.m. on Friday evening at 82 Callender St. Police later identified the victim as Trevain Keene, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Sunday evening around 9:50 p.m., a Dorchester man was shot to death in a vehicle outside the Tedeschi convenience store in Peabody Square. The victim was also killed at the scene. Later that night, at about 2:45 a.m., Monday, a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were shot outside 92 Rosewood St. in Mattapan. Both were taken to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

In a statement issued on Monday, Mayor Martin Walsh said that police believe that the four deadly shootings are all connected.

“The last four shootings are likely related, and are a combination of gang violence and retaliation,” Walsh said. “It is the understanding of the Boston Police Department that there were prior relationships between the victims and the suspects.

“In the coming days, I will be convening several groups to discuss actions we can take in several of the areas that I discussed with Commissioner Evans and his command staff,” Walsh said. “We will work with all levels of government, law enforcement, and the community to reduce the trauma in our neighborhoods, get guns off the street, and address the underlying causes of violence.”

Through Wednesday morning there have nine homicides so far this year in Boston— a dramatic spike over 2013, in which 3 people were murdered during the same time span. A 21 year-old man, Luis Arroyo, was shot and killed on Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan on Jan. 18. Jordan Chniapoo, 20, was slain by gunfire on Jan. 15 on Esmond Street in Dorchester. Other deadly shootings have taken place in Roslindale and the South End, with another man killed in a knife attack in Hyde Park.

City Councillor-at-Large Ayanna Pressley on Wednesday called for the city to boost funds and support for a “trauma response team.”
“We cannot solely pray, march, or police our way out of this,” Pressley said in a statement. “We have individuals, families and entire communities who are experiencing the symptoms of trauma, which impacts their ability to work, go to school, and to be safe.”

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.
Or call anonymously to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).