REVERE — State Police closed Revere Beach on Sunday night after three people were injured in two shootings less than an hour apart nearby, as “sporadic fights” broke out at a recreation area packed with Memorial Day weekend revelers, officials said.
The first shooting took place at 7:11 p.m. near 123 Centennial Ave., according to statements from David Procopio, a State Police spokesman. The victim, a 17-year-old girl who was struck in the lower body, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the statements.
Investigators believe she was injured when shots were fired into a group during a large fight and may not have been the intended victim, Procopio said.
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A second shooting took place near one of the bathhouses on Revere Beach Boulevard as a fight broke out among young people near the bandstand on the boulevard about 8 p.m., according to the statements.
A 51-year-old woman suffered gunshot wounds to her legs and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening, according to Procopio. She is not believed to have been the target of the shooting.
A 17-year-old boy was also grazed in that shooting, but he declined a ride to a hospital, Procopio said. Authorities are investigating whether the teenager was the intended victim.
State Police and Revere police are investigating and have not yet established whether the shootings were connected. Revere police referred a reporter to State Police for information on the shootings.
Troopers continued to respond to “sporadic fights among groups on Revere Beach” past 9 p.m., Procopio said. “We have closed Revere Beach to visitors to assist in restoring order,” he said.
Investigators detained and interviewed several juveniles but had filed no charges as of late Sunday night.
Near Revere Beach on Sunday night, a section of Centennial Avenue was roped off with police tape, and a small area of Shirley Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Revere Beach Boulevard was also closed off. Numerous police vehicles filled the area, blue lights flashing, as people crowded on the sidewalks nearby.Traffic was jammed, with state troopers directing cars away from the area.
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A bicycle from the Blue Bikes rental program sat inside police tape on Shirley Avenue, near the scene of the first shooting.
Bobby, 28, a Winthrop resident who declined to give his last name, said he was walking from Planet Fitness toward the beach when he saw a person being placed in an ambulance near Shirley Avenue. He later heard two gunshots ring out from down the street.
“A lot of people who were gathered on the beach were running around, and the police were chasing them, but no one really knew what was going on,” he said.
Rebecca, 29, who also declined to share her last name, drove up with her mother-in-law from their home in Malden to get ice cream at Twist N’ Shake on the beach Sunday night when they saw police cars and ambulances.
“People come out here with their families to enjoy themselves,” she said. “I usually bring my kids here to get some food or some ice cream, and then to see this, that’s scary.”
Crowds began to disperse around 9:30 p.m. State troopers wearing helmets with face shields walked along the sidewalk by Revere Beach, telling people to leave the area. Some shined flashlights onto the beach, where people still sat on the sand in the dark.
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“You can come back tomorrow!” one trooper shouted.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him @NickStoico. Collin Robisheaux can be reached at collin.robisheaux@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ColRobisheaux.