Youth shot to death on bus; teen charged

A Dorchester teenager was arrested and charged with killing another teenager by shooting him in the chest at point-blank range just after he boarded a crowded MBTA bus at Columbia Road yesterday afternoon, police said last night.

Ivan Hodge, 18, was charged with murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition in the fatal shooting of Tacary Jones, also 18. Police did not release the victim's address, but said he was a student at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester.

The brazen daylight attack at a bus stop at the corner of Geneva Avenue and Columbia Road, which became Boston's eighth homicide of the year, stunned residents and community leaders.

''It's bad; it's real bad," said Cislyn Ferguson, 45, who lives a block from where the shooting happened. ''It's scary. I think they should check everyone who comes on the bus to see if they have a weapon on them."

Police officials said the shooting does not appear to have been random but acknowledged they are concerned that shootings are occurring on the public transit system.

''At this time, we do have reason to believe these two did know each other," Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole said at a press conference announcing the arrest last night. Police Superintendent Paul Joyce said he was concerned ''that someone would commit an act like this within public transport."

MBTA Police Lieutenant Detective Mark Gillespie said that at about 2:40 p.m., the victim was shot once by a suspect who was already aboard the bus. The victim fell inside the bus; he was pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center.

Police said two suspects were detained shortly after the killing, along with witnesses who had been on the bus.

Jones was the only person injured in the attack. Gillespie said that police believe there was only one shooter and that the shooting resulted from an altercation between two groups of youths on the bus.

''Two groups confronted each other on the bus," Gillespie said. ''The result was a shooting shortly after, seconds after, a larger group boarded the bus at Geneva and Columbia."

Witnesses said at least two youths ran from the bus after the shooting.

Boston police dogs combed the area about 200 yards from the bus, looking in backyards and other places. Police declined to say whether a weapon had been found. Gillespie said that personal items of the victim were found on the ground near the bus door.

Several witnesses said they saw police chase two young men who were standing on a nearby train bridge watching the aftermath of the shooting. Police pretended not to notice the youths, witnesses said, but covertly sent officers around the block to arrest the teens.

Witnesses said the crowd was cheering and screaming as they watched the chase unfold.

Joseph Orton, a construction worker at a building two doors down from the crime scene, said he saw the youths hanging out near the bridge before they were chased by police.

''They were limping across the street practically," Orton said. ''They were winded. They were scared. They looked very scared, two young kids."

Lydia Rivera, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, confirmed last night that police were questioning one of the youths who had been standing on the train bridge. The shooting is being investigated by the Boston police homicide unit with assistance from MBTA police, Gillespie said.

Councilor Charles Yancey arrived at the crime scene after police had left the area last night. He expressed concern about community policing in Boston.

''Our children deserve to live in a safe environment," said Yancey, who represents Dorchester, Mattapan, and parts of Hyde Park. ''My concern is that we've gotten away from community policing where police . . . actually sit down with residents to come up with ways to deal with violence."

Yancey also said he is angry that the Police Department has fewer patrol officers than several years ago, especially in more violent sections of the city.

''Quite frankly, we should have a few police cars out here right now, a couple of hours after a horrific act of violence," he said. ''There aren't enough police walking the beat."

O'Toole also said police were investigating a double shooting in Dorchester last night. ''Shortly after 10 o'clock this evening, we had a double-shooting in Dorchester in the Cape Verdean community," she said. She could not give specifics, including the condition of the victims, or say whether the shooting was related to the homicide yesterday afternoon.

Globe correspondent Jack Encarnacao contributed to this story. Suzanne Smalley can be reached at ssmalley@globe.com.