Boston Reports 12 Independent Labor Day Shootings, COVID Rate Drops to 1.7 Percent

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6468 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston Mayor Walsh reported a citywide COVID-19 positive test rate of 1.7 percent and 12 independent Labor Day weekend shootings at a September 3 press conference. Police Commissioner William Gross said none of the 12 shootings were connected, that more than 560 guns had been taken off city streets in 2020, and called for courts to resume fuller operations, saying repeat violent offenders were driving the violence: "These individuals causing violence in our neighborhoods should be locked up." Walsh announced an extension of the Boston Public Library's late-fine moratorium through December 31, noting more than 94,000 physical items had been reserved since the BPL2Go program launched in June. Walsh also pressed residents to complete the 2020 U.S.

Census before the September 30 deadline, warning that each uncounted Boston resident costs the city an estimated $2,400 annually in federal funding for the following decade, with only 57 percent of households having self-reported. East Boston's COVID positive test rate fell from 11.4 percent to 8.7 percent over three weeks following targeted outreach, while only 11 COVID patients remained in Boston hospital intensive care units, down from a peak of 571 in April.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,960 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6468 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.