Revere Beach reopened to the public on Memorial Day after Massachusetts State Police had temporarily closed it Sunday night following a pair of shootings that injured three people as gunfire erupted over the holiday weekend.
Massachusetts State Police have said two people were shot and one person was grazed by a bullet in two separate incidents at the popular beach located about four miles north of Boston. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.
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In the first shooting, police said someone fired into a crowd on Centennial Avenue around 7:10 p.m., hitting a 17-year-old girl in the lower body. She was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment.
Less than an hour later, a large group of minors were fighting near a bathhouse on Revere Beach Boulevard when gunshots again went off. This time, bullets hit a 51-year-old woman in the legs and grazed a 17-year-old boy, police said. The woman was also taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, while the teen declined to be transported.
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No arrests have been made yet in either incident, though a minor who was questioned in one of the shootings was arrested Sunday night for illegal possession of a firearm, state police said. An investigation was ongoing Monday to determine whether he was involved in the second shooting.
The union representing troopers said it was “disgusted” by the unruly behavior.
“Every family within the commonwealth deserves to be able to enjoy themselves at our parks and recreational areas without fear of violence or unlawful acts,” the State Police Association of Massachusetts said on Monday.
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Revere's acting mayor said Sunday night that this type of violence will not be tolerated and that safety at Revere Beach is always a major priority, especially as summer nears.
"The City will continue to work with our partners at the State to keep our beach welcoming and safe for all," Acting Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. said in a statement. "...we will continue to work with our partners to create a family friendly environment at America’s first public beach this summer."
The head of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay pleaded with everyone Monday to leave their weapons at home and just enjoy the beach.
“You can sometimes predict it based on the weather and the weekend, right? It’s a hot day on a holiday weekend, we’ve all been cooped up,” Chris Mancini said.
Prior to the outbreak of violence, there were already many patrols out on the boulevard due to the large Memorial Day weekend crowds with many flocking to New England's beaches to mark the unofficial start to summer.
Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to contact state police detectives at 617-727-8817.
The Associated Press contributed to this report