HAVERHILL (CBS) — A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a shooting near a Little League field in Haverhill on Saturday afternoon.
Police patrols were increased after a pair of men were shot on a basketball court near Swasey Field where kids were playing.
The shooting happened around 4 p.m. Two baseball teams of 13-year-olds were playing in the first inning when the shots rang out.
The arrest took place Monday night at Temple and Reed Streets. The juvenile suspect was charged with two counts of assault to murder, carrying a firearm without a license and other charges.
He was also arrested on a default warrant out of Essex Juvenile Court for possession of Class D drug with intent to distribute.
Police said the suspect is known to Haverhill Police as being involved in gang activity.
Police were able to identify the suspect by using surveillance images and witness statements.
On Monday morning, parent Erin Francescone told WBZ-TV’s Chantee Lans, “I think we were lucky.”
“Someone was looking down on us and made it so that gunshots were all that we heard,” she said, “And we didn’t have to respond to anything beyond that.”
Her two sons played at the park just hours before the shooting. Both victims, who police said later showed up at an area hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, are expected to survive.
As a safety precaution, Haverhill Senior Baseball is working to reschedule the home games for the rest of the season. Francescone says her kids want to stay.
“They want to play ball and that is their focus,” she said. “They want to play baseball on their home field.”
She says she would rather see a stronger police presence.
“I do not know how else to fix it,” Francescone said. “I do not know if changing out field forever is the answer.”
