Seven people shot at large gathering in Methuen, officials say

Seven people were shot and two remain in critical condition after gunfire erupted early Sunday morning during a large gathering in Methuen, authorities say.

Hundreds of people attended the rally and numerous shots were fired into the crowd, Essex County Prosecutor Paul Tucker said at a news conference Sunday morning.

“It’s unbelievable that more people aren’t injured or killed,” he said.

Methuen Police responded to 100 Lindberg Ave. around 1:55 a.m. after multiple 911 calls reported the shooting, Police Chief Scott McNamara said at the conference. At the scene, police found seven people with gunshot wounds and one person who had been injured while fleeing the shooting.

All seven people who were shot were taken to the hospital and one was flown by medical helicopter, McNamara said. Two of them remain in critical condition as of Sunday morning and the other five are stable.

The victims’ ages ranged from their late teens to their early 20s, authorities said. They are believed to be from Essex County and elsewhere, but have not yet been identified by authorities.

“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” McNamara said. “These acts of senseless violence do not represent the values ​​of our community. »

Police have several leads and security footage from the scene, but so far no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, McNamara said. The meeting appears to have been arranged via social media, but the business closest to the scene of the shooting – EJ Paving – does not appear to have been involved in the gathering or the shooting.

These “spontaneous” gatherings have occurred across Massachusetts in recent years, officials said. They often involve people in their late teens and early 20s listening to loud music, dancing, using alcohol and drugs, and trespassing on private property, but it is the first to become violent .

Methuen police and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office hope to speak to the hundreds of people at the rally. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact them.