A car parked alone in a dim concrete parking garage at night
Carjacking · Dorchester, MA · June 2024

A Driver Lost His Car at Gunpoint at a Dorchester Intersection

A driver at New England and Talbot avenues in Dorchester was carjacked at gunpoint around 8 p.m.; the car was found abandoned nearby.

Scene imagery is illustrative — not the actual location
What happened

On Saturday evening, June 8, 2024, around 8 p.m., a driver stopped at the intersection of New England and Talbot avenues in Dorchester was confronted by a suspect who brandished a firearm and took the vehicle, according to WHDH.

The carjacker fled toward Blue Hill Avenue. Police later found the stolen vehicle abandoned near Glenway Street, not far from where it was taken.

No one was reported injured. The suspect remained at large at the time of the report, and Boston police continued to investigate.

The response gap

Seconds versus minutes.

Nobody moves toward danger faster than police. The clock is still the clock.

Until they arrive, you are the plan: distance, locked doors, a phone in hand, training. A Massachusetts license takes months — start before you need it.

Sources: NENA 911 call-processing standard (STA-020.1-2020) · FBI, Active Shooter Incidents 2000–2013 · City of Boston, Boston About Results — BPD Performance Report. Boston's figure is its last published Priority 1 median, call receipt to arrival. Incident timing is from the FBI's study of timed violent incidents. Respect for the officers who answer these calls, always — this is arithmetic, not blame.

The uncomfortable part

This could have been any of us.

Eight o'clock on a June evening — still light out, people on porches, traffic moving. Sitting at a red light is one of those moments nobody thinks of as risky, and that's the point: windows down, music on, eyes on the light. A carjacking at an intersection takes less time than the light takes to change.

The numbers

The reality most of us never see coming.

89%rise in the average carjacking rate across 10 large U.S. cities, 2018 to 2023
9 in 10carjackings studied involved a weapon; firearm involvement rose from 56% to 62% by 2022
8,558motor vehicles reported stolen in Massachusetts in 2023

Sources: Council on Criminal Justice, Trends in Carjacking · Council on Criminal Justice, Trends in Carjacking · Mass.gov / EOPSS crime data release

Our instructors' take

What we tell our students.

We hear a version of the same story at our Everett range every month: someone signs up because something happened a few blocks from their house. That's human nature — but it collides with how Massachusetts licensing actually works. Between the class, the application, and the waiting period, you're looking at months. Starting before you feel like you need to is the entire game.

And to keep it honest: in a carjacking, we teach compliance. Give up the car, be the best witness you can, get safe, call 911. Nothing you own is worth your life. Training isn't about turning a traffic stop into a gunfight — it's about knowing the law, having a plan, and having options you've earned lawfully.

State Police & NRA certified instructors · 20+ years teaching Massachusetts · Indoor range in Everett, 10 minutes from Boston

Our classroom in Everett — the state curriculum's core is judgment: de-escalation, disengagement, and when not to shoot.
Where to start

See if you qualify for a Massachusetts License to Carry.

A few quick questions, no personal information — an honest read on whether Massachusetts is likely to say yes, before you spend a cent.

Questions first? Text us: (781) 664-9551 — a real person replies, usually within minutes.