16-year-old girl, reportedly pregnant, shot in Brockton
A 16-year-old girl who is reportedly pregnant was shot early yesterday while walking with her boyfriend on Ford Street in Brockton, a typically quiet neighborhood, police said.
The girl was shot once in the side. She was taken to a local hospital and then by ambulance to a Boston hospital yesterday morning. Her condition was not known last night, but police said her injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.
Police Chief William Conlon would not confirm reports that the girl is pregnant, saying he could not discuss her medical background. The Enterprise newspaper reported that the girl is expecting a child.
The girl told police she was walking with her boyfriend at about midnight when she saw a group of males walking in their direction.
The girl said she heard someone yelling and then gunshots. People then started running toward them, apparently away from the shots. At least one house was hit by stray gunfire, police said.
The girl and her boyfriend fled down a driveway and cleared a fence on their way to West Ashland Street, which runs parallel to Ford Street.
It was then that the girl realized she had been shot, the police chief said.
Conlon said the shooting occurred in a neighborhood that is usually quiet. He said police have not established a motive, though he does not believe the girl was targeted. The incident remains under investigation.
Residents of Ford Street said they were surprised by the shooting, saying it was not typical of their neighborhood.
One woman who said her father has lived in his Ford Street home for more than 80 years thought someone was lighting firecrackers before she realized it was a shooting. Then, the woman said, police swarmed the area.
"It's sad," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used.
Another woman, who also would not give her name, said she was watching television on her couch when she heard a series of shots. Her son yelled at her to get down.
Earlier, she said, she heard people yelling but said the gunshots occurred during the quiet of the night.
"That's why it really scared me," the woman said. "I couldn't believe it."
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com. 