Seven people injured by gunshot at party in Massachusetts

Seven people were shot and wounded, and an eighth was injured while fleeing, when gunfire broke out at a large gathering of young people in Methuen, Massachusetts, authorities said Sunday.

The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. after hundreds of people gathered for a party organized on social media, officials said at a news conference. The victims’ ages range from 17 to 22 years old, officials said. Two of the injured are in critical condition.

“This is another tragic case of gun violence,” said Essex County Attorney General Paul Tucker. “It’s pretty impressive, judging by the enormous amount of ballistics evidence we’ve collected, that there weren’t more people hurt.”

Methuen is about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of Boston, on the New Hampshire border.

Authorities declined to comment on the number of suspects. No one has been arrested, and police have not recovered any weapons.

Metheun Police Chief Scott McNamara said authorities have been monitoring locations where such events typically take place, but the attack occurred in a new location and was the first to turn violent.

“Usually these gatherings include loud music, crazy behavior, people drinking,” he said. “We try to discourage that whenever we can, and we’ve had some success. “Unfortunately we experienced a tragic incident here in Metheun last night.”

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