Salem State student killed in Halloween-night shooting near campus, police say

Crime

The 18-year-old student died after being shot in the early morning hours on Wednesday, police say.

A Salem State University student was killed in a shooting during the early hours just after Halloween, an evening when the city’s streets are packed with visitors. 

A press release from District Attorney Paul Tucker’s Office said the shooting occurred at 22 Forest Ave., located on the edge of campus, just before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. 

Carl Hens Beliard, an 18-year-old student at Salem State, was found inside a car injured from the shooting. Authorities said he was taken to Salem Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

 “As both the Salem State president and a college dad, this tragedy is heartbreaking for all in our community and every parent’s worst nightmare,” said university president John Keenan. 

Investigators do not believe the shooting was a “random act of violence” and said the campus is safe from any threats. An alert on Salem State’s website said the campus was open Wednesday morning. 

Information on a suspect was not available as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, but Tucker said in a press release that State Police and local police are working together “to identify and bring the person responsible to justice.”

Boston25 reported from the scene of a shooting that police focused their investigation on a car that crashed into a retaining wall near a house, and it appeared that a bullet had shattered the car’s back window. Residents who heard the shooting and car crash said it “sounded like firecrackers.”

It isn’t immediately clear if that is the same vehicle that Beliard was in when police found him suffering from gunshot wounds.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Originally posted 2023-11-01 15:22:56.