2 men shot, 1 stabbed in Brookline; 2 others fled by car and on foot

Two men were shot and another was stabbed in Brookline Wednesday while two others fled from multiple crime scenes in the upscale residential village.

The bloody incident began late Wednesday morning in an apartment on St. Paul Street, where a man was found shot and stabbed, Brookline Police Chief Daniel O’Leary told reporters at a press conference near the apartment. The white brick building was located a few blocks from the Coolidge Corner public library.

From there, police believe four men got into a rented white Ford Focus with New York license plates and sped away from the scene.

Pictures of suspects vehicle at Harvard and Beacon. White Ford Focus NY plate GYR3714. pic.twitter.com/lhXwO43pEi

— Brookline PD (@BrooklineMAPD) January 27, 2016

The car then stopped several blocks away on Harvard Street, a quaint street filled with shops and restaurants. Two men who had been shot either jumped from the car or were dragged out by one of the suspects, O’Leary said. At that point, one person drove off in the car while another ran away on foot.

“We don’t know who our suspects are at this point,’’ O’Leary said.

Police confirmed after 8 p.m. on Twitter that the suspects’ car was found unoccupied in Boston.

The three injured men are known by multiple police agencies, O’Leary said, though he did not elaborate on whether they had criminal records. They were taken to local hospitals and are in stable condition.

Students were sheltered in place at three nearby schools during the incident. Officers were assigned to each of the affected schools in the wake of the incidents. Students were dismissed at the regular time.

“It is very rare that this happens, but by the same token, we’re ready for this,’’ O’Leary said. “Our officers are well-trained.’’

Jennifer Piesza told The Boston Globe she saw a car stop along Harvard Street, and then watched as the driver pulled two injured people out of the vehicle. The bleeding victims were left in front of an emergency vehicle, she told the Globe.

In a message posted on Facebook, Brookline Public Schools said students were kept inside each building for the remainder of the normal school day.

“All students and staff are safe and police are present at both schools. This is a precautionary measure while the police are conducting an investigation,’’ school officials wrote.