HOLYOKE, MASS. (WHDH) - A baby died after its pregnant mother was shot while riding a bus in Holyoke Wednesday, the Hampden County District Attorney’s announced.
The DA’s office said the shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Sargeant Street.
The pregnant woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition after the shooting, according to the DA’s office. Officials said the woman’s infant was delivered and needed life-saving medical services. In an update late Wednesday afternoon, the DA’s office said the infant had died.
The DA’s office said the incident appeared to have been part of an altercation between three male suspects.
Officials said investigators believe one gunshot hit the pregnant woman while she was on a public bus, adding that the woman was not involved in the altercation.
The DA’s office said all involved suspects “are believed to have been identified and transported to nearby hospitals and are in custody.”
The incident remained under investigation as of Wednesday evening.
Speaking with 7NEWS, one woman who was on the bus when the shots rang out said she heard the shots as the bus crossed through an intersection.
The fellow bus passenger, Jade Nason, said the woman who was shot was sitting in a seat against the bus window. Nason said the bullet entered the bus and hit the woman in the hip.
“Three seconds sooner, that bullet would have been hitting me in the head,” Nason said.
Nason said the bus pulled over and passengers started calling 911.
“We all got off the bus. I looked up the street,” she said. “I saw the police were responding. I ran up the street and got their attention and told them that there was a pregnant girl on the bus that got shot.”
The Holyoke Police Department previously said the intersection of Maple and Sargeant streets was closed off to traffic as officers continued to sweep through the area after this shooting.
In a Facebook post, the department said it initially responded to the block after receiving “multiple calls for help” and alerts from the city’s ShotSpotter system.
The Massachusetts State Police said troopers, K9 teams, and investigative units were also called in to assist.
“There is not believed to be any ongoing threat to the public,” said state police spokesperson Dave Procopio.
While authorities continued to investigate Wednesday night, witnesses said a gun was fired several times in this incident.
Witnesses also said at least one person involved in the initial fight was also hit by gunfire, in addition to the woman on the bus.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia shared his thoughts in a statement Wednesday night, asking anyone with information to contact Holyoke police or the state police detective unit assigned to the Hampden County District Attorney’s office.
“I want to extend my deepest and sincerest condolences to the family,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he is “outraged and frustrated with these senseless acts of violence and illegal activity on our streets,” adding “I struggle with it every day attempting to offer a balanced solution.”
“Quite frankly, I have lost my patience,” Garcia said. “I plan to work with all resources available to me to push this nonsense out of our city.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)