Shortly before 10 p.m. on Monday, June 17, two men were victims of a shooting in the area of Mozart and Bolster Streets in an event the Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins called “tragic.” The victims were 32-year-old Christian Green of New Bedford and 34-year-old Jose M. Martinez of Boston. As of the deadline for this publication, Boston Police were still searching for a suspect.
According to press releases by the Boston Police Department (BPD), residents reported hearing the screech of car tires as well as loud gunshots. When police arrived on the scene, a man was found deceased on Mozart Street as a result of apparent gunshot wounds. The other victim was found on Bolster Street and was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Mayor Marty Walsh held a previously scheduled coffee chat at the Mozart Street playground the Wednesday following the shooting. That same evening, members of the community came together at Mozart Park to honor the victims in a candlelight vigil.
The deaths of Martinez and Green bring the city’s murder total to 20 this year. They also came on the heels of two other shooting deaths in the city over the previous weekend, one in Dorchester and one in Mattapan.
The shootings of June 17 occurred in areas frequented by children: Mozart Park, John F. Kennedy Elementary School and Nativity Preparatory School. Children walking to school to celebrate their last week before summer were greeted with the telltale sight of yellow police tape cordoning off the area while detectives searched for shell casings among the bushes.
BPD cannot confirm whether they suspect the shootings to be gang-related, though previous reporting by Gazette, Patch.com and Universal HUB connect Green (sometimes appearing as Greene) to the notorious Mozart Street Gang.
The BPD Homicide Unit is currently pursuing all leads to naming a suspect and asks for the community’s support in finding the person or persons responsible. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Boston Police Homicide Detectives at 617-343-4470. Callers can also report anonymously to the CrimeStoppers hotline at 1-800-494-TIPS, or text “TIP” to 27463.