Cambridge Man Xavier Bautista, 32, Fatally Shot Near Broadway Before 4:30 a.m.

Q: With a killer at large, will Cambridge vote to dismantle its controversial gunshot detection system tomorrow?

No. Cambridge is not set to vote tomorrow on whether to dismantle ShotSpotter; the City Council has already approved ending the system. According to the additional reporting, the council previously voted to discontinue ShotSpotter by a 5-2-2 margin and ordered the sensors turned off and removed within 90 days. Some accounts place that vote in late May or early June, but they agree on the key point: the decision has already been made. That means Xavier Bautista’s killing on July 4 occurred after the city had already decided to end the gunshot detection program. His death is likely to intensify debate over that choice, especially because police leaders and the city manager had argued ShotSpotter helped detect gunfire that often was never reported to 911 and could speed emergency response. Opponents of the system had argued it produced too many false alerts, raised privacy concerns, and contributed to over-policing. Supporters said it was a useful tool in cases where no one called police. There is no public indication that city officials are revisiting the vote immediately because of Bautista’s killing. The homicide remains unsolved. Cambridge Police, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and Massachusetts State Police are investigating, and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Cambridge Police.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 4

Xavier Bautista, 32, was found dead after a shooting near Broadway and Norfolk Street in Cambridge before 4:30 a.m. Saturday and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A pedestrian discovered Bautista lying on the ground around 5:30 a.m. and called emergency responders, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Police Commissioner Pauline Wells.
Cambridge police and the Middlesex DA's office said they are actively investigating the circumstances of the shooting and had made no arrests as of the latest report.
The killing drew a public appeal for tips to Cambridge police and added to city concern over gun violence after officials identified Bautista as an off-duty Public Works employee.