15-year-old boy among 3 fatally shot in Boston in less than 24 hours

A man passed the scene on Mount Pleasant Avenue Friday morning where a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston the night prior.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in Roxbury Thursday night, the third homicide in less than 24 hours in Boston, officials said.

The youth was one of three people shot on Mount Pleasant Avenue around 10 p.m. The conditions of the other two victims were not known.

The shooting was announced less than an hour after Boston police confirmed that a man was fatally shot at 42 Hosmer St. around 8:15 p.m.

Hours earlier, a 45-year-old man was fatally shot at 12:15 a.m. Thursday in Dorchester, according to police.

“It’s been a busy and violent night folks,” Police Commissioner William Gross told reporters at the scene of the Roxbury shooting late Thursday night.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh condemned the violence coming ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend.

“The violence is unacceptable,” Walsh told reporters.

“As we head into this weekend, I’m asking people involved in violence in the city of Boston, put your guns down,” the mayor said.

Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said safety must be a priority in city neighborhoods this weekend.

“We need to make sure this 4th of July weekend families are able to stay safe,” she said.

Rollins said the 15-year-old was killed across from a park, and in front of the home of a family with young children.

“They are deeply impacted by what happened,” she said.

Her office is working with Boston police to solve the three homicides. She urged anyone with information to contact authorities.

“Please come forward,” Rollins said. “We’ll get you protection.”

The violent day started in the early hours of Thursday in Dorchester.

Boston police said officers responded to an activation from the ShotSpotter gunshot tracking system at 12:19 a.m. on Norfolk Street near the intersection with Peacevale Road. Ballistic evidence was later recovered on Norfolk Street and on Peacevale Road, police said.

The victim, Rashawn Washington-Clark of Dorchester was discovered about a block away on Armandine Street near the intersection with Milton Avenue. He was rushed to a Boston hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police also recovered a vehicle on Armandine Street that they said the victim may have been in when he was shot.

The homicide was the city’s 21st this year and came after four people were shot Tuesday evening, one fatally, on Circuit Street in Roxbury. Police on Thursday identified the man killed in that shooting as Tierece G. Wiley, 19, of Roxbury.

Police ask anyone with information about the crimes to contact the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470 or provide an anonymous tip to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

Residents seeking emotional support from any of the shootings are urged to contact the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team at 617-431-0125 or to visit BPHC.org/trauma.