Methuen

5 arrested in late night ‘car meetup' in Methuen

Methuen police said they do not believe these individuals are connected to the incident from early Sunday morning where gunfire erupted at a large pop-up party in an industrial park in town

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A handful of people were arrested late Sunday night at a "car meetup" in Methuen, Massachusetts, less than 24 hours after gunfire erupted at a large pop-up party at an industrial park in the city, injuring at least seven people.

Methuen police said officers responded to an area in the Broadway Sector for a report of loud music and a possible car meetup in progress around 11:15 p.m. Once on scene, officers found five cars had gathered, three of which had large speakers on top of them.

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Five people ranging in age from 17 to 24 years old were arrested and charged with trespassing. The youth was released to his mother after being booked at the Methuen Police Department, police said, noting that names, photos and other specific details were being withheld.

The location of the car meetup is private property, according to police, and there are several "No Trespassing" signs posted around the property. All vehicles were towed from the property.

Methuen police said they do not believe these individuals are connected to the incident from early Sunday morning where gunfire erupted at a large pop-up party in an industrial park in town

The arrests were part of the department's #HarmReduction Campaign, and police say they are committed to cracking down on motor vehicle infractions.

"Methuen has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of activity, especially in light of the incident that occurred less than 24 hours earlier involving hundreds in attendance," police said in a statement, adding that they do not believe these individuals are involved in the incident that occurred in the city earlier Sunday.

Multiple people were shot and wounded when gunfire erupted at a large gathering in Methuen, Massachusetts, early Sunday morning. Follow NBC10 Boston on... Instagram: instagram.com/nbc10boston TikTok: tiktok.com/@nbc10boston Facebook: facebook.com/NBC10Boston X: twitter.com/NBC10Boston

Earlier Sunday, officials said hundreds of people had gathered in the area of 100 Lindberg Avenue for a "pop-up party" or a "car club meet-up" that was organized through social media.

Shots rang out just before 2 a.m., wounding seven people, two of whom are in critical condition, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said, noting it's incredible that more people were not hurt or killed given how much ballistics evidence they recovered. An eighth person was injured trying to flee the scene. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 23 years old.

Tucker said they were actively pursuing all leads in this case, which has been part of many series of social media Snapchat events where people meet up.

Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said authorities had been monitoring other “hot spots” where such gatherings typically take place, but Sunday’s attack happened in a new location and was the first to turn violent.

“Usually these meet-ups consist of very loud music, disorderly conduct, sometimes drinking,” he said. “We try to take action where we can to discourage it, and we’ve been fairly successful in that regard. Unfortunately we did experience a tragic incident here in Methuen last night.”

Police declined to comment on a suspect but say they have multiple leads. No weapons have been recovered.

Authorities are hopeful surveillance video from the scene will give them some answers. They're asking any partygoers who have video to come forward. Anyone else with information is also urged to contact the Methuen Police Department.

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