Boston University Shooting: Student Killed, Allston Residents Alarmed By Fourth Boston Homicide This Week

A Boston University shooting death on Thursday morning has unnerved residents of Boston's relatively calm Allston neighborhood.

Police found the victim, an unidentified 24-year-old man, at about 2:40 a.m., close to the area's busy Commonwealth Avenue and a block away from a public park and playground. He was bleeding from two gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police say they are pursuing multiple leads, but have so far declined to say whether or the victim was specifically targeted or randomly shot.

The student had attended Boston University's Graduate School of Management. Boston University President Robert A. Brown offered his condolences in a statement. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of the student, he said. We are all deeply saddened by his death.

He also sought to reassure Boston University students, several of whom heard gunshots and were surprised by the violence in their typically safe neighborhood. This appears to be an isolated incident, said Brown. I want to assure all students, whether they live on campus or off campus, that public safety is a priority for this institution.

Allston is not considered a crime-ridden area of Boston. Home to music venues, popular eateries and and trendy shops, the neighborhood attracts young adults and students of nearby schools, which include Boston University, Harvard Business School and Berklee College of Music.

Police are increasing patrols throughout the city, but not just because of Thursday's tragedy. This incident marks the fourth Boston homicide this week, and many residents are alarmed by the inexplicable recent uptick in violent crime.

This week's first murder occurred on Monday, when a 67-year-old woman was stabbed in South Boston. On Tuesday, a man was fatally shot while inside his car in Roxbury. A female passenger was also shot at the time, but she survived. And on Wednesday evening, a young man was shot dead in Hyde Park. No arrests have yet been made in any of these homicide cases, reports the Boston Globe.

So far this year, 13 homicides have been reported.

Student Kyrsta Voskowsky, 24, heard the gunshots that killed the Boston University graduate student on Thursday morning. She told the Boston Globe that she never expected to be in the midst of such violence. When I moved to Boston I was like, 'Oh, it's not New York; it will be safe.' I never thought I'd hear gunshots around here, she said.

Anyone who has useful information for the Boston Police should contact their Crime Stoppers Unit at 1-800-424-TIPS, or their Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.