Multiple shot in Brockton after World Cup celebrations, police say

Brockton police said at least four people were shot near Main Street and Park Street after World Cup celebrations drew hundreds into the city late Friday night. Officers found the victims shortly before midnight, all four were taken to the hospital, and no arrests had been reported as the crowd gathered after a match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where Norway and France played.

The shooting added another violent episode to a week in which Brockton police have been trying to contain disorder tied to World Cup celebrations. On June 21, police said three separate shootings occurred during large crowds that formed after Cape Verde’s World Cup match against Uruguay, and investigators later released photos and video of suspects while asking the public for help identifying people connected to those cases.

Police have said the June 21 gatherings generated numerous calls for service and required a significant response, underscoring the strain on officers when celebrations spill from a stadium setting into downtown streets. Earlier in the tournament, celebrations over Cape Verde’s draw against Spain also pushed large crowds onto Main Street, and local reporting said at least nine arrests were made during those gatherings.

Massachusetts is home to the largest Cape Verdean population in the United States, with about 70,000 residents, and Brockton has been among the cities where that passion has repeatedly filled the streets. The latest shooting now leaves investigators with another late-night case linked to a major soccer event and another round of questions about what broke down before the gunfire began.