Salem Police Identify Source Of Gunshot-Like Sounds

SALEM, MA -- Salem Police on Friday announced on their Facebook page that they had identified the source of gunshot-like sounds hours after soliciting the public's help in their investigation. The sounds, which had been reported on a daily basis for several weeks, were not gunshots or fireworks. Instead, they came from a faulty furnace in a building in the neighborhood.

"Our officers witnessed the problem firsthand, and confirmed it was the same noise that has been heard. The owner of the building has been notified of the problem," the department wrote on its Facebook page late Friday afternoon.

Before posting the request for the public's assistance, officers that had responded to the calls had found no evidence of gunshots, fireworks or anything else that might be causing the sound.

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Photo by Sale Police.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).