Four people were shot in the early hours of Saturday after celebrations marking Cape Verde’s historic World Cup qualification descended into violence in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts.
The shooting happened just before midnight on Friday, after hundreds of fans had gathered to watch the small island nation hold Saudi Arabia to a draw — a result that secured Cape Verde’s place in the tournament’s knockout stage. According to NBC Boston, the team’s progress made it the smallest country ever to reach the World Cup’s last 32, a milestone for a nation of around half a million people off the west coast of Africa that is appearing at the finals for the first time. Brockton, which lies roughly 30 miles south of Boston, is home to the largest Cape Verdean community in the United States.
Crowds had assembled for a watch party at the city’s Campanelli Stadium before spilling out into the streets, with many congregating near the junction of Main Street and Park Street. Brockton Police said officers, supported by Massachusetts State Police, were already present in large numbers when gunfire broke out. They found four people with gunshot wounds, all of whom were taken to hospital. Their conditions have not been released, and the circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear.
Mayor Moises Rodrigues said one person, from the nearby town of Weymouth, had been arrested, although their name was not made public. Brockton Police had not released further details of a suspect, and NBC Boston reported that no arrest had been announced in the immediate aftermath.
In a statement, the mayor was at pains to separate the violence from the wider celebrations, saying the shooting did not “reflect Brockton’s Cape Verdean community.” He said the watch party itself had passed without incident, that the overwhelming majority of those present — some 99.9 per cent, in his words — had celebrated peacefully, and that the city would not tolerate criminals exploiting what he described as a joyous occasion. The festivities, he added, should not be overshadowed by the actions of a few.
The bloodshed came amid a charged atmosphere across the city. One reveller told Boston 25 News that people had travelled in from surrounding towns to join the celebrations, and lamented that a small number had spoilt the occasion. According to the broadcaster, the incident followed an earlier shooting during similar World Cup festivities in Brockton less than a week earlier.
Cape Verde’s run is due to continue on 3 July, when the team is scheduled to face Argentina in Miami. Brockton Police said the investigation was ongoing and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. No further details have been released.
