Roslindale teen identified as Roxbury homicide victim

An 18-year-old who was killed as a series of bullets scattered a crowd of teens Wednesday evening in Roxbury was identified by police as Fausto Sosa of Roslindale.

Sosa, who was shot down the street from the National Center of Afro-American Artists, was the city’s 35th homicide victim this year, police said.

On Wednesday night, Boston police officers found Sosa around 7:12 p.m. on Hollander Street suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died, police said.

“I am disappointed by the violence, but not shocked,” said Edmund Gaither, the executive director of the National Center of Afro-American Artists. “It is the moment we live in.”

Gaither, who lives in Roxbury, said violence has troubled the area, at least since the museum opened in 1969.

“This is a neighborhood that has suffered from unemployment and other issues, which figure into sustained violence,” Gaither said. “These are all things that I hope the new police commissioner will pursue.”

Several neighbors referred to violence in past years, including shootings.

Luis Martin Pinales-Perez, 31, was fatally shot July 3 near 134 Crawford St., less than a mile from the Wednesday night shooting.

Ben Alleyne, an artist who has made metal street memorials depicting the faces of local homicide victims — such as 10-year-old Trina Persad, who was killed in 2002 — was near the museum at the time of the shooting but did not know what happened. The next day, he said he was saddened to hear the victim was a young man.

“Young people can’t live out their lives without being troubled,” Alleyne said. “What kind of life is there for them?”

The same night as the shooting, a nearby car crash sent two people to the hospital with minor injuries.

Investigators have not determined whether the crash and the shooting were connected, police said.

Police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. People can also leave information anonymously by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).