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Pair to face charges after 8 shot during parade Boston's Caribbean Carnival

Pair to face charges after 8 shot during parade Boston's Caribbean Carnival
WITH MORE BRIANNA ANTOINETTE. WE ARE AWAITING THE ARRAIGNMENT OF TWO SUSPECTS INVOLVED IN THIS SHOOTING AND GERALD VICK AND DWAYNE FRANCIS. THEY ARE BOTH 30 YEARS OLD FROM DORCHESTER. NOW, POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AROUND 745 SATURDAY MORNING ON TALBOT AVENUE DURING BOSTON’S CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL FESTIVAL. THOSE BULLETS FLYING RIGHT ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE WHERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAD GATHERED TO CELEBRATE. EIGHT PEOPLE WERE SHOT, SIX OF THEM WERE TAKEN TO NEARBY HOSPITALS. VICK AND FRANCIS BOTH HAD FIREARMS ON THEM. WHEN ARRESTED. TWO OTHER SUSPECTS WERE ALSO ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO THE SHOOTING. THEY ARE 21 YEAR OLD SEBASTIAN FERNANDEZ, WHO WAS INJURED AND IN THE SHOOTOUT AND IS CURRENTLY BEING GUARDED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. AND A 17 YEAR OLD MALE WHO FLED THE SCENE AND WAS ARRESTED LATER THAT AFTERNOON. AGAIN, IT IS JUST VICK AND FRANCIS WHO WILL BE BEFORE A JUDGE TODAY. THEY ARE CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. WE DO HAVE ANOTHER REPORTER INSIDE THE COURTROOM RIGHT NOW READY FOR WHEN THEIR ARRAIGNMENT HAPPENS. FOR NOW, WE’RE LIVE OUTSIDE
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Pair to face charges after 8 shot during parade Boston's Caribbean Carnival
Two men charged in a shooting during Caribbean Carnival celebrations Boston's Dorchester neighborhood are scheduled to appear in court Monday.Eight people were shot early Saturday morning on Talbot Street, which is on the parade route for the annual J'ouvert parade that is part of Boston's Caribbean Carnival Festival.Dorchester residents Gerald Vick, 30, and Dwayne Francis, 30, were arrested at the scene shortly after the shootings and are scheduled to appear in Dorchester District Court. "It's always just heart wrenching to hear that a treasured community event has been disrupted by acts of violence," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said.Six men and two women were shot, according to Boston police. Five of the men and one of the women were transported to area hospitals to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The two other shooting victims suffered graze wounds and declined to be treated for their injuries. Boston police Commissioner Michael Cox said the gunfire erupted while the Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston's J'ouvert parade was happening, but he noted the shooting was not related to the parade since it happened on the outskirts of the parade route. "It seems to potentially be, maybe, two groups having some sort of altercation," Cox said. "Unfortunately, as a result of it being a large crime scene, we did stop the parade on Talbot Avenue.""It was very, very difficult for me this morning to know that something occurred when we work so hard. So incredibly hard to put on something that is more family-oriented event and peaceful," organizer Shirley Shillingford said.CACAB's main Caribbean Carnival parade, however, and the remainder of Saturday's events went on as scheduled. This year marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the Boston Caribbean Carnival parade. Video below: Caribbean Carnival Parade marches on after shootingBoston police said they have arrested four people and recovered multiple firearms in connection with the shooting.Officers said they recovered a 9mm pistol with a large-capacity magazine from Vick's person. That pistol was also equipped with a "Glock switch" that enabled the gun to fire continuously. Police said Francis was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol. Boston police detectives later obtained video that showed two men who were involved in the initial gunfire: 21-year-old Sebastian Fernandez and a 17-year-old Dorchester boy.Police said Fernandez was shot in the leg during the incident and limped into a nearby tow lot after the shooting. Officers applied a tourniquet to his leg and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Fernandez was later arrested for his role in the shooting and is being guarded at the hospital.According to police, video showed the 17-year-old fleeing on foot into the back of the Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club toward Franklin Field. At about 1:50 p.m., officers saw a male matching the teen's description on Westview Street. Those officers stopped the 17-year-old and found that he was in possession of a Polymer 80 pistol equipped with a "Glock switch." The teen was arrested for firearm possession and his involvement in the shooting is under investigation. Video below: BPD commissioner, Boston mayor and others speak about shooting during J'ouvert parade

Two men charged in a shooting during Caribbean Carnival celebrations Boston's Dorchester neighborhood are scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Eight people were shot early Saturday morning on Talbot Street, which is on the parade route for the annual J'ouvert parade that is part of Boston's Caribbean Carnival Festival.

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Dorchester residents Gerald Vick, 30, and Dwayne Francis, 30, were arrested at the scene shortly after the shootings and are scheduled to appear in Dorchester District Court.

"It's always just heart wrenching to hear that a treasured community event has been disrupted by acts of violence," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said.

Six men and two women were shot, according to Boston police. Five of the men and one of the women were transported to area hospitals to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The two other shooting victims suffered graze wounds and declined to be treated for their injuries.

Boston police Commissioner Michael Cox said the gunfire erupted while the Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston's J'ouvert parade was happening, but he noted the shooting was not related to the parade since it happened on the outskirts of the parade route.

"It seems to potentially be, maybe, two groups having some sort of altercation," Cox said. "Unfortunately, as a result of it being a large crime scene, we did stop the parade on Talbot Avenue."

"It was very, very difficult for me this morning to know that something occurred when we work so hard. So incredibly hard to put on something that is more family-oriented event and peaceful," organizer Shirley Shillingford said.

CACAB's main Caribbean Carnival parade, however, and the remainder of Saturday's events went on as scheduled. This year marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the Boston Caribbean Carnival parade.

Video below: Caribbean Carnival Parade marches on after shooting

Boston police said they have arrested four people and recovered multiple firearms in connection with the shooting.

Officers said they recovered a 9mm pistol with a large-capacity magazine from Vick's person. That pistol was also equipped with a "Glock switch" that enabled the gun to fire continuously.

Police said Francis was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol.

Boston police detectives later obtained video that showed two men who were involved in the initial gunfire: 21-year-old Sebastian Fernandez and a 17-year-old Dorchester boy.

Police said Fernandez was shot in the leg during the incident and limped into a nearby tow lot after the shooting. Officers applied a tourniquet to his leg and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Fernandez was later arrested for his role in the shooting and is being guarded at the hospital.

According to police, video showed the 17-year-old fleeing on foot into the back of the Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club toward Franklin Field. At about 1:50 p.m., officers saw a male matching the teen's description on Westview Street. Those officers stopped the 17-year-old and found that he was in possession of a Polymer 80 pistol equipped with a "Glock switch." The teen was arrested for firearm possession and his involvement in the shooting is under investigation.

Video below: BPD commissioner, Boston mayor and others speak about shooting during J'ouvert parade