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Police Investigate Shooting Near Northeastern University

BOSTON (CBS) - Boston Police say pedestrians on Huntington Avenue are "fortunate" they weren't hit by stray bullets around 4:30 Tuesday afternoon.

That's when two men were waiting outside what Boston Police Commissioner William Evans describes as a "federal pre-release center" or halfway house, located on the edge of the Northeastern University campus.

The men were apparently targeting someone who lives at that facility, Evans told WBZ. And when they saw him, they opened fire. The victim was hit three times and suffered serious injuries.

"When these kids go after each other, they don't really care who's in the area," Evans said. "We're just fortunate no one else got hit."

Elizabeth Devore agrees. She works nearby, and early Tuesday morning she felt like she had scored a great parking spot near her office, until it became a crime scene hours later.

"I'm hoping that they don't find anything around my van, but it's amazing that nobody else got hit or hurt," Devore said. "It's the middle of the day and there's students everywhere from the New England Conservatory, from Northeastern, just walking, going to and from class and everyone's on the street and all of a sudden this shooting happens."

Boston shooting
Evidence markers on Huntington Ave after shooting (WBZ-TV)

Northeastern freshman Jake Laport heard the shooting from down the street.

"I think that when it happens in different places, people really seem shocked," Laport said. "But at the end of the day, I really hope it's kind of an eye-opener."

The two suspects took off on foot, leaving police without a great description of either man. But detectives were gathering surveillance video and pictures from nearby businesses.

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