WPD Investigating Shooting Incident and Bomb Device at 43 Barclay St. On Friday, April 25, 2014 at approximately 10:00 AM, Worcester responded to 43 Barclay Street for a report of a suspicious device that was discovered on top of a spare tire affixed to an SUV parked in the driveway. This device was in plain view and appeared to be a small pipe with a wick protruding out. The resident of the property became concerned that it was a pipe bomb and contacted police. This address was also the scene of an early morning shooting. At approximately 2:40 AM Worcester Police responded to this address for a ShotSpotter notification. Responding police discovered numerous bullet holes into the front of 43 Barclay Street. No calls for the shooting were received by police. There were no injuries reported during the shooting incident. Police at the scene realized that the device was a potential pipe bomb. As a result, the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad responded along with the ATF, members of the WPD Arson Squad, WPD detectives and WPD K-9 Bomb Detection Dog. The immediate neighborhood was closed to pedestrians and traffic. Nearby apartments were evacuated for safety measures. Members of the MSP Bomb Unit deactivated the device with the use of a water cannon. The device was confirmed to be a pipe bomb. There were no damage or injuries reported during the deactivation process. “This is an active investigation and we will deploy additional resources to determine the individual(s) responsible for this serious crime, says Chief Gary J. Gemme. “Our investigators worked collaboratively with the Massachusetts State Police to disable the pipe bomb and ensured the safety of the residents in the surrounding the area. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners as the investigation progresses. “ The device was transported to the MSP Crime lab for analysis. The immediate area was reopened to residents after a search for potential secondary devices came back negative. “In response to this incident, the department is working with City Manager Edward M. Augustus to allocate resources to the neighborhood and we will develop a focused and comprehensive police response. Police units will immediately begin to focus on the area and follow up on leads,” explains Chief Gemme. The investigations into the shooting incident and the explosive device are ongoing. Investigators at this time have not ruled out that the two incidents are linked. However, investigators believe that these incidents are not random and that this home was the target. Investigators will be interviewing the residents in an attempt to establish a motive. According to Chief Gemme, “This incident, like the shootings that occurred earlier this week on West Boylston Drive, is more about specific individuals rather than the deterioration of good neighborhoods. Our neighborhoods are strong and contain numerous active crime watch groups that work closely with our department. We consider these incidents to be isolated given the overall stability of the neighborhoods in which these crimes occurred. Our neighborhoods continue to thrive and we will work to reverse this recent uptick in violence. We have a number of overlapping strategies to ensure that these neighborhoods and communities are safe.”
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 19:43:26 +0000
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