Man killed in daytime shooting near Dorchester middle school

A man was shot and killed near a middle school in Dorchester late Monday afternoon, Boston police said in a news release.

Police did not report if they’ve identified a suspect, and are asking the public for help gathering information about the shooting.

Police found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds at 264 Columbia Rd. after they were called to the scene a little before 5 p.m. for a report that shots had been fired. Police said the man, who they later identified as 33-year-old Haverhill resident Daniel Mayers, was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The victim was found close to Lilla Frederick Pilot Middle School, which is located at 270 Columbia Rd.

Police were called to the scene by the city’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection system which alerts police to locations where gunfire has been recorded, the Boston Globe reported. They found the man inside a vehicle near 243 Columbia Rd., which is across the street from the Frederick school.

The school day was over when the shooting happened, but some after-school programs were still in session, WHDH reported. The school was put in “safe mode” temporarily.

“This is a daylight shooting. It happened in the middle of the day — a lot of people are out here in general, so we’re asking for the public to help us with this,” Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox told reporters.

Boston police are actively investigating the shooting. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Boston police at (617) 343-4470.

This is the fourth time someone has been shot near a Dorchester school in the last year and a half.

In December 2022, two people were shot near the Joseph Lee K-8 School. In October 2022, a Jeremiah Burke High School student was shot outside the school. In March 2022, a teacher and student from TechBoston Academy were shot outside the school.