Gunfire returned to The Port neighborhood Monday after three months of peace, as Cambridge police reported multiple gunshots heard but no shooting victims found onsite or at area hospitals.
A Cambridge officer handling an unrelated call for service on School Street heard at 2:14 p.m. what they believed to be multiple gunshots coming from the direction of Bishop Allen Drive, a police spokesperson said.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” an officer was heard calling out on the scanner.
Masked suspects fled, one toward Central Square and the other toward Clement Morgan Park, according to scanner reports. The first officer was overheard saying he had “one at gunpoint” and spoke of an uninjured victim, and police later explored whether one or more vehicles were involved. They later made reference to three possible suspects.
Scanner reports are frequently unreliable as police deal with rapidly changing situations. A more complete official release with confirmed information was due late Monday, superintendent of operations Pauline Wells said. In a 3:37 p.m. release, she said, “The officer called immediately for assistance and tried to intervene when they saw several suspects flee the area.”
Ballistic evidence was found at Bishop Allen Drive and School Street, police said, and detectives and Crime Scene Services were on location processing the crime scene for hours after the incident. Anyone with information on the gunfire is asked to call Police at (617) 349-3300.
This year has now seen three gunfire incidents in its first two month; the first was Jan. 3 in Cambridgeport near Central Square, a shooting in an apartment that left one man injured. The second was Jan. 13 in North Cambridge. Shotspotter technology heard the Monday gunfire, according to scanner reports, after missing it in the year’s first two incidents.
The most recent previous incident of gun violence in The Port was Nov. 20, as an overnight shooting left a man with gunshot injuries on Windsor Street at Newtowne Court housing. There were 13 gun incidents last year citywide.
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And still no surveillance cameras. What’s the problem? Is the City Council still worried about the perps’ privacy?