A teenage girl was killed in a daytime shooting Wednesday afternoon in Dorchester, sending police on a search for a suspect, an 18-year-old man, who was in custody hours later, authorities said.

Boston police said officers responded to a call for a person shot near Topliff and Speedwell streets around 3:37 p.m.

On arrival, officers found the victim, identified only as a female “in her late teens,” suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. She was pronounced dead by EMTs at the scene, Police Commissioner William Gross said during a press conference.

Investigators quickly identified a person of interest and recovered a firearm, according to Gross.


Later Thursday night, police announced the arrest of Anthony Kelley, of Dorchester, on several charges: murder, firearm discharged within 500 feet of a dwelling, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

“Homicide does not discriminate, and, as the mother of a 16-year-old myself, this is heart-wrenching to see young people, teens, that are being killed and making decisions where they end people’s lives, and these split-second decisions impact the rest of their lives,” Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins told reporters.

Mayor Marty Walsh noted how the alleged incident played out on One Boston Day, the commemorative day marking the anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing now reserved for promoting acts of kindness.

“My heart goes out to the victim’s family, and we’ll all be praying for them tonight. This certainly is a difficult situation,” Walsh said. “Today is One Boston Day, and we’ve been talking all day about spreading around kindness and happiness, and the fact that this homicide happened in the middle of a pandemic is certainly a tragedy in the City of Boston.”

Gross said the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team would be available for residents in the area, especially for those who witnessed the shooting.


The incident, however, is not indicative of the character of the neighborhood, he said.

“You always hear me say it’s 1.5 to 2 percent that are committing acts of violence,” Gross said. “The rest of the folks in the neighborhood are some good folks.

“It’s times like this during a pandemic that we need to stick together and no acts of violence should be tolerated,” he added.

Investigators ask anyone with information about the shooting to contact detectives at 617 343-4470. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting “TIP” to 27463.