City councillor E. Denise Simmons addresses residents of The Port neighborhood with Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. during a Wednesday peace rally. (Photo: City councillor Jan Devereux via Twitter)

Police are investigating two separate incidents early this morning in which men were shot in the arm.

The first shooting occurred at 12:17 a.m. at Cambridge and Fifth streets, where the victim was a Cambridge man sitting in a car. The second shooting occurred approximately an hour later, at 1:23 a.m., at Washington and Cherry streets; the victim this time was a Somerville man. Additionally, two cars and one home on Cherry street were struck by bullets, police said.

In both cases, several shell casings were found in the area of the shooting while the victims were taken for treatment by doctors.

Washington and Cherry streets are in The Port neighborhood, where there has been the most gunfire incidents reported this year – 10 through the end of June, nearly all early morning incidents resulting in no reports of victims, with eight in The Port and two taking place in the Wellington-Harrington neighborhood. City councillors asked police to form an internal task force to deal with the violence, leading officials to report placing a massive presence of police in The Port “for the foreseeable future.” On Wednesday, police and elected officials led a peace march through the neighborhood. 

Cambridge and Fifth streets are in East Cambridge, breaking the geographic pattern for gun incidents.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cambridge Police at (617) 349-3300. Anonymous reports can be left at (617) 349-3359; sent by text message to 847411 (begin your text with TIP650, then type your message); or by email by visiting CambridgePolice.org/Tips.