Executive Summary
- A woman in her 20s was seriously injured in a shooting at the Lamplighter Village apartment complex in Canton, Massachusetts.
- Police have ordered residents in the surrounding area to shelter in place while they search for an armed suspect.
- Investigators believe the shooting was not random and that the suspect may have been known to the victim.
- Law enforcement agencies from Canton, Stoughton, Randolph, and the Massachusetts State Police are involved in the search.
CANTON, Mass. — Law enforcement authorities in Canton launched an extensive manhunt Monday evening after a woman was shot and seriously injured while sitting in her vehicle. The incident, which prompted officials to issue a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding neighborhoods, occurred just before 7 p.m. at the Lamplighter Village apartment complex.
According to the Canton Police Department, officers responding to the scene near Turnpike Street and Stagecoach Road discovered the victim, a woman in her 20s, suffering from serious gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel transported her to a Boston-area hospital for treatment. A passenger in the vehicle at the time of the shooting was not injured, police confirmed.
Preliminary investigation details released by investigators indicate the shooting was not a random act of violence. Police stated that the victim was seated in the driver’s seat of a parked car when a male suspect approached with a dark-colored handgun and opened fire into the vehicle. Investigators noted that the gunman may have been the individual the victim was waiting to meet at the complex.
The suspect, described by witnesses and police as a Black man in his late teens or early 20s with a thin build, fled the scene immediately after the shooting. He was reported to be approximately 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-6 and was wearing a black beanie. The Canton Police Department, assisted by the Massachusetts State Police and officers from neighboring Stoughton and Randolph, established a perimeter and advised residents in Canton Woods, Lamplighter Village Apartments, and areas south of Tracywood Road to shelter in place.
Public Safety Alert
While authorities have stated there is no immediate threat to the broader community beyond the specific search area, the active nature of the manhunt necessitates high vigilance. The implementation of a reverse 911 call and the deployment of mutual aid assets highlight the urgency of locating the armed suspect. Residents in the affected zone are advised to remain indoors and report any suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
