Boston's weekend is marred by assaults and violence

During a sweltering weekend, Boston police responded to a significant amount of street violence late Saturday and early yesterday, including a particularly violent eight-hour stretch, officials said.

Police said that four people were shot on Delano Street in Dorchester about 4 a.m. yesterday. One of the men, whom police did not identify, was shot several times in the chest and back and was listed in critical condition at Boston Medical Center.

The other three victims had non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Boston police spokesman Eddie Crispin said the shootings are under investigation.

"It's unclear what preceded this event," Crispin said. "We are trying to determine if they were at a party, or some type of get-together, or if they were walking down the street."

Immediately after hearing reports of the shooting, police cordoned off an area around Levant and Delano streets.

Crispin said that there is no indication the shooting was linked to the annual Caribbean Carnival, which drew about 75,000 people to Franklin Park in Dorchester Saturday.

There were at least four stabbings reported on Saturday evening and yesterday morning near where the festival took place.

Boston police Superintendent Daniel P. Linskey said that despite a series of episodes at the end of the festival and in the area after it concluded, officers successfully headed off threatened gang violence at the park.

"We had six guns taken off the street during the festival, all without excessive use of force by police," Linskey said.

"We had a couple incidents toward the end of the festival, but we were able to contain them and minimize them. We were concerned about the number of gangs threatening each other at the festival.

"Based on the intelligence we had, a number of groups were looking to settle scores, to use the crowd as cover, and settle beefs with other groups."

About 9:30 Saturday night, a man was stabbed numerous times after an argument at the park, police said.

Anthony G. Fernandes, 18, of Dorchester, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to murder and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.

The victim, whom police did not name, was listed yesterday in serious but stable condition at Brigham and Women's Hospital with stab wounds to the chest and back.

At 9:11 Saturday night, a man reported being assaulted by his wife and three other women at his home on Harvard Street in Dorchester.

The man told police he went home alone after a day of drinking and slept until he was awoken by the sound of people entering through his front door. After the man got out of bed, he told police, his wife confronted him. He said he was then struck in the head, fell to the floor, and was kicked repeatedly by the women, including his wife.

The victim drove to Boston Medical Center, where his condition was not available. The event remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made, said Boston police spokeswoman Sharon Dottin.

Also Saturday night, a man was stabbed at 11:22 on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. No other information was available yesterday.

Police said a man who had sped through a South Boston neighborhood threatened a group of people with a knife after they yelled at him to slow down.

Thomas Grealish, 19, of Braintree was arrested at 1:14 a.m. yesterday and charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon.

According to police, several people were standing in front of their house on Gold Street when a speeding car passed them.

After they yelled at the driver to slow down, he got out of his car and approached them with a knife. One of the victims said he told the man he did not want trouble, and the driver returned to his car.

At 2:24 a.m. yesterday, police responded to a knife fight on Dudley Street in Roxbury.

A 19-year-old man who had been stabbed in the stomach was taken to Boston Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The victim has been uncooperative with police, Dottin said.

Also yesterday, police spoke to a 23-year-old man who walked into Boston Medical Center about 5:15 a.m. with non-life-threatening stab wounds in his chest. That victim also has not cooperated with police, Dottin said.

Last night, Boston police were investigating the shooting of two people on Boston Common. Just after 10 p.m., police answering a call about a person shot on Mt. Vernon Street found a female with a gunshot wound to the foot and a male with a gunshot wound to the leg. Both were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.