A man was shot and killed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday, July 4th. 

It happened around 4:30 a.m. near Broadway Street and Norfolk Street, according to the Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. A pedestrian found the man shot in the area around 5:30 a.m. and called 911. 

First responders arrived to find that the man had died. He was identified as 32-year-old Xavier Bautista from Cambridge. The City of Cambridge said that Bautista worked in the Public Works Department and was off-duty at the time of the shooting. They described him as a “valued colleague” who was “beloved” by friends and family.

“We extend our deepest condolences to those who knew and loved him. This is a tremendous loss, and our entire City grieves alongside his family, friends, and coworkers,” the city said in a statement. “Gun violence has absolutely no place in our community. We are unwavering in our commitment to keeping Cambridge safe, and we will do everything in our power to support the investigation and ensure accountability.”

No arrests have been made. Cambridge Police, the Middlesex DA’s Office, and Massachusetts State Police are investigating. 

“The City will continue to deploy every necessary resource and will fully support our law enforcement partners as they work to determine the circumstances associated with the shooting and to bring justice to those affected,” Cambridge said. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300 or submit an anonymous tip.

One day before the Fourth of July, police in Yarmouth, Massachusetts say American flags were “ripped down” from a highway overpass that’s named after a two-time Purple Heart recipient. 

Yarmouth police said an officer noticed the vandalism Friday on the Lance Corporal William Joseph Donovan Jr. Memorial Bridge over Route 6. 

“The officer found American flags forcefully ripped from the fencing,” police said. “Their grommets had been torn out, and flags were ripped apart at the seams left hanging.”

Lance Cpl. William Joseph Donovan Jr., a Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School graduate, was awarded the Purple Heart twice for injuries sustained in Operation Enduring Freedom. After returning home, he died in a motorcycle crash at 27 years old.

Yarmouth police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to contact them.

This isn’t the first time that flags on the bridge were damaged. Last summer, they were similarly torn down before being replaced in a rededication ceremony. 

The community has already stepped up to restore the patriotic display that was vandalized on Friday.

State Rep. Steve Xiarhos of Barnstable, who lost his son Marine Cpl. Nick Xiarhos to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, said “Cape Cod sent a message tonight.”

“You can tear down flags, but you cannot tear down the spirit of this community. If anything, you made people stronger,” Xiarhos posted to Facebook. “You brought people together from all over Cape Cod, united by love of country and respect for those who have served.”