LYNN, MASS. (WHDH) - Grief-stricken friends and family members of one of the teen victims of two deadly shootings in Lynn on Wednesday gathered to light candles and mourn their loss as city officials call for an end to street violence.
The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said the two victims were found by police when officers were called to Camden Street around 10:20 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls for shots fired.
Arriving officers found two males suffering from gunshot wounds behind a gas station, according to the DA’s office, both of whom were taken to North Shore Medical Center.
In an update Thursday morning, authorities said the first victim, a 16-year-old, was pronounced dead in the emergency room while a second victim, a 19-year-old male, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Family members of the 19-year-old victim identified the teen as Kyle Mel, a junior at Lynn Classical High School. Speaking with 7NEWS, his mother described how her son had gone out to a friend’s house nearby and said he would be home soon before he was shot.
“He’s a sweet thing in the world – nothing compared to him,” his mother Chhea Mel told 7NEWS. “He was going to go to his friend’s house for a second – it’s close by – so he said he’d go for a second and be back and then he walked to the store and then things happened.”
Speaking through tears, the victim’s family recounted how they received a call that Mel was in the hospital, but that by the time they arrived, the 19-year-old was gone.
“He was just all about making music and he always said that he just wanted to better his future and help his family out,” his aunt Aja Khem said. “[The shooter] took somebody, our heart – just took him away from us and it’s so unfair that he’s going. He didn’t even live his life to the fullest.”
Wednesday night’s shooting was the second such incident in Lynn in just over 24 hours, after another shooting in the area of State Street left three victims suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on Tuesday.
In the same update, the DA’s office stated that those victims had been taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and were currently in stable condition.
“The Lynn Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police have committed significant resources to these investigations and will continue to do so until the offenders are held accountable,” Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy said. “Based on our investigation to this point, we believe that these are targeted attacks, and we ask for the public’s help. If you have any information, please contact investigators at 781-477-3190.”
“Effects of gun violence are devastating especially when young people are involved and losing their lives,” Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said in a statement. “Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to my office, the Lynn Police, and Lynn officials are committed to exhausting every possible resource in an effort to interrupt this pattern of senseless violence.”
Authorities have not yet released any details on possible suspects or if any arrests in either cases have been made.
In a statement sent to 7NEWS, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson said that as the community mourns the loss of the two teenagers killed, the city will respond with an increased police presence as needed while investigations into both shootings continue.
“We offer condolences to the families of the two victims in last night’s shooting and we will offer support to the school communities grieving these losses,” Nicholson said. “We appreciate our law enforcement team for all their intensive efforts over the last two days. This violence is devastating, infuriating, and utterly unacceptable. We will respond with increased police presence as needed and renewed urgency and clarity in our efforts for peace, justice, and a safer community.”
In a letter to the school community, Lynn Public Schools Superintendent Evonne Alvarez said that support services will be offered as students and staff return to class the week of Jan. 2.
“Our deepest condolences and sympathies go out to the families, friends, staff, and everyone affected by the devastating loss of student life. This heartbreaking event has deeply impacted us all. During this difficult time, it is important for us to come together as a community to offer support and strength to one another,” Alvarez wrote. “We will continue to provide a supportive space where students can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. Therefore, dedicated support services will be deployed by the LPS clinical team and the Lynn Police Department for the return of staff and students throughout the week of January 2, 2024.”
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