Shooting breaks out at “chaotic” gathering in Methuen, 8 injured, 2 seriously injured

Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara, along with Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker, brief the media on a shooting in Methuen that left eight people injured, including two critically, overnight. (Boston Herald/ Matthew Medsger)

According to local police and the Essex County District Attorney's Office, eight people were injured, two of them seriously, after gunfire erupted at a spontaneous gathering in Methuen.

The shootings occurred at a large “car club gathering” of hundreds of young people organized through social media, said Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker. The people involved ranged in age from late teens to 22, he said.

“Here we are again witnessing gun violence striking at the heart of the community, and we are working very hard – state detectives were on the scene all night with Methuen police and detectives – responding to a chaotic scene,” Tucker said during a news conference Sunday morning.

Of the seven victims shot, two are in critical condition, Tucker said, and the remaining five are stable. One victim had to be flown to a hospital by helicopter. An eighth person suffered a head injury while fleeing the violence. The prosecutor did not release the names of the hospitals where the victims were treated, nor were their names released to the public.

“The investigation is still very much in progress,” he said.

Given the number of shots fired, Tucker said, “it's pretty amazing that more people weren't injured.”

“There were hundreds of people here,” Tucker said.

The shots were fired around 1:55 a.m. in the area of ​​100 Lindberg Avenue, Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said. Police responded to a “report of a shooting. We had received several 911 calls about it.”

Officials said police officers from Lawrence, Dracut and North Andover, as well as officers from the Massachusetts State Police, provided mutual aid during the early morning operation.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic events of last night and our condolences go out to the victims and their families. These senseless acts of violence do not represent the values ​​of our community,” McNamara said.

Tucker said the violence erupted during a “social media Snapchat event where people met in unused parking lots in remote parts of communities.” He said such events are occurring throughout the county and the Merrimack Valley.

McNamara said that violence is not uncommon at events such as these spontaneous and unauthorized car club gatherings, but even when it is not, his department's policy is “to take police action wherever appropriate to prevent such activities in the first place.”

McNamara said investigators have collected evidence and found some “very strong leads,” but at this time do not have any information on a specific suspect to release, nor do they know exactly what led to the shooting. Police did not recover any firearms used in the shooting, the chief said, but have collected shell casings from “many” shots fired.

Tucker said both his office and police hope the public will pitch in and fill in some of the gaps in information about what happened early Sunday morning, especially given the size of the gathering.

“Hundreds of people were involved and these were horrific crimes, not only for the individuals who suffered these gunshot wounds, but for their families and the community. We are absolutely asking for help,” he said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the District Attorney's Office or Methuen Police. Anonymous tips can be given to Methuen investigators at 987-983-8794. The Essex District Attorney's Office can be reached at 987-744-6610.