Person in custody after shooting at Boston firefighters amid blaze

A person was arrested after shooting at Boston firefighters trying to put out a blaze at a building in Mattapan Saturday morning, officials said, leading to a long standoff as the fire burned.

The suspected shooter was eventually taken into custody in another part of the Fairlawn Estates apartment complex, allowing the blaze to be put out, officials said. No one else was hurt, though residents of the building were evacuated while the standoff dragged on.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu called the situation a case of first responders keeping each other safe, along with the broader public.

"They handled it with the utmost professionalism, as always," she said.

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Firefighters in Boston were met by a gunman today while responding to a working fire. As all-hazard responders, we accept risk, but being shot at is unacceptable. Safety is the priority for us and those we serve. Good work by @LOCAL_718 and police defusing a deadly situation.

— Edward A. Kelly (@IAFFPresident) December 30, 2023

A SWAT team was called to a building on Fairlawn Avenue for a report of a person shooting at firefighters, police said. The fire on Fairlawn Avenue was reported about 11:35 a.m., police said.

"As our companies approached the scene, they heard gunshots fired," Deputy Chief Michael Doherty said. "We couldn't fight that fire until police actually controlled that scene."

Firefighters were gathered outside several buildings in the apartment complex where the incident was reported, and police were seen going in and out of a building. An emergency siren could be heard at the scene.

A person was seen being wheeled away from the scene on a stretcher, and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said later that the suspected gunman hurt himself, apparently in a fall. A gun was also recovered at the scene.

The suspected gunman hasn't been identified.

"There may or may not have been a mental health component...but it is part of our investigation that we're going to do," Cox said.

Smoke could still be seen pouring from a building around 1:40 p.m., and the fire was only knocked down a few minutes before the news conference began about 2:10 p.m., according to Doherty. The fire was on the first floor of the building and extended to the second and third floors.

Drones were used to help locate the suspected shooter, Cox said, who commended firefighters for continuing to work under the difficult circumstances, as well as the large number of officers who responded to the scene.

Residents waiting outside the building had said there was another incident overnight involving gunshots, and Cox confirmed that it was part of the investigation, and that no one was hurt at that time.

"This morning, it started early in the morning," said Ana Peña, who lives in the apartment and heard shots fire at 3 a.m. Saturday. "There was like noise in the hallways and somebody shoot three times."

No arrests were made at the time, with Cox saying no one was injured and officials didn't believe they had enough to properly enter earlier.

Residents like Catiana Fernandes, whose 3- and 4-year-olds have asthma and diabetes, were rushing to escape.

“It was very scary. In the moment I wasn’t really thinking, I just wanted to get out of the house with my kids. That’s all," she said. "Now I’m scared to go back in.”

Everyone has returned to their homes after waiting hours for the scene to clear.

Wu thanked residents "for their patience and their understanding," acknowledging it was a big disruption and inconvenience, especially on a holiday weekend, as first responders dealt with the threats.

"We’re just glad everyone’s safe and wanted just to thank everyone for making sure this could happen how it did, which is as smoothly as possible for everyone," Wu said.

Boston police and fire continued to monitor the scene Saturday. Cox says there's no threat to the public.