Two Grandmothers Were Followed on an Evening Walk in Roxbury
A man followed two older women on their evening walk near Dudley and Clarence streets, then robbed them of their necklaces at gunpoint.
Scene imagery is illustrative — not the actual locationOn Sunday evening, August 11, 2024, around 8:20 p.m., two older women were out for a walk near the corner of Dudley and Clarence streets in Roxbury when a man who had been following them confronted them, according to WHDH.
Police said the man displayed a firearm and demanded their chain necklaces. One of the women later told reporters he made the demand in Spanish. He took the jewelry and fled; one gold pendant was dropped at the scene and recovered.
Neither woman was physically injured. Surveillance video of the robbery circulated on local news, and Boston police released a description of the suspect, who remained at large, asking for tips through District detectives or CrimeStoppers.
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.
This could have been any of us.
An evening walk is supposed to be the healthy, safe part of the day. These two women were on a route they likely knew well, in their own neighborhood, before dark on a Sunday. The detail that stays with you is that they were followed first. Most of us never check whether the person half a block back has been there for three blocks.
The reality most of us never see coming.
Sources: Mass.gov / EOPSS crime data release · Mass.gov / EOPSS crime data release · FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Crime in the U.S. 2019
What we tell our students.
The skill our instructors would point to here isn't marksmanship — it's noticing. Being followed has a pattern: same person through multiple turns, pace matching yours, distance closing. We teach students to trust that flag early, change course, get to lit and busy places, and call someone. Awareness and avoidance always come before anything else. A firearm is a last resort, and most incidents should end with it never leaving the holster — if it's there at all.
Many of the women in our classes started exactly here: not wanting to feel like easy pickings on their own street. The first step isn't a purchase. It's a class, where you learn what Massachusetts law permits, whether you'd qualify for a License to Carry, and what responsible ownership really requires. Our course satisfies the state's training requirement so you can apply.
State Police & NRA certified instructors · 20+ years teaching Massachusetts · Indoor range in Everett, 10 minutes from Boston
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.