Newborn dies after mother was shot in Massachusetts altercation

Police investigate a shooting in Holyoke, Mass.
Police investigate a shooting in Holyoke, Mass.

A newborn baby died on Wednesday after its mother was shot during an altercation in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office says the pregnant mother was shot while riding on a bus when gunfire erupted on the street. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Her baby was delivered in need of lifesaving care and did not survive, the district attorney's office said.

Police are investigating the shooting in Holyoke, a small city in Hampden County with a population of about 40,000, about 10 miles north of Springfield.

State police said there were at least three people shot, including the woman on the bus.

Police responded to the downtown area around 1 p.m. Friday after getting multiple calls for help and notifications from ShotSpotter, which detects gunshots in an area.

A spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police told WGGB-TV that the incident stemmed from an altercation between several people, and there is not an ongoing threat to the public. All those involved in the shooting had been taken into custody or taken to the hospital, authorities said.

People are still being asked to avoid the area as police investigate.

The mayor's office said more details would be provided later.

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