Police: 2 dead in Worcester double shooting

WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester Police are investigating a double homicide that took the lives of two men early Wednesday morning. Police say the men were fatally shot in front of the Diamond in the Rough bar on Grafton Street shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday.

One neighbor told me he heard the gunfire, right outside his apartment window.

“It was just like six shots in a row, it had to have been a low caliber gun because it wasn’t really that loud, it was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop and that’s it,” Mike Daniels told me.

Worcester Police have not yet released their names, but people who claim to be family and friends of the victims tell me the men were half brothers, and that one of the men was celebrating the birth of his child as he also observed his own birthday the day before.

“These guys are not gangsters, they’re not out shooting up anybody’s block. They’re not out here fighting. They’re two guys that go to work, who just want to take care of their family. That’s it,” said one person who asked not to be publicly identified.

All day Wednesday, a small shrine of lighted votive candles and flowers attracted people who stopped to pray or to silently pay their respects.

One man who visited the scene said he was angry that street violence took the lives of two good men.

“They were young men!” he said. " [Their] lives cut too short in the streets of Worcester because the city doesn’t want to address what we got going on.”

The shooting happened in a busy section of Grafton street, seemingly in full view of video surveillance camera that are aimed at the crime scene. Neighbors said police collected the video during the course of the investigation.

In the meantime, other neighbors told me they are concerned about the growing rate of violence in the area. Javier Espinal told me his mother is considering a move out of the neighborhood. He said he no longer feels safe here.

“In the day, I feel super safe,” Javier said. “At night, especially when I park over there because there’s two cars, I try to make it quick because I’m not that safe, and I’m always looking behind.”

The Worcester Police Department is urging anyone with information to contact detectives.

UPDATE - police say both men are dead. @WorcesterPD are asking anyone with information about this shooting to come forward: (508) 799-8651 (detective bureau). @boston25 https://t.co/LDPyB313GE
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) December 8, 2021