Most Parents Will Vaccinate Younger Kids After FDA's OK: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Friday, Oct. 8. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A Brockton police officer was shot four times, another man was murdered, and the suspect shot himself to death Thursday night.
• A year after the parade — and virtually every other official municipal Halloween event — was canceled out of coronavirus concerns, the Witch City re-staked its claim as the holiday's hometown.
• The Draconids meteor shower, which runs from Oct. 6-10, peaks tonight. In Massachusetts, the sun sets at 6:15 p.m.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

More than six in 10 Massachusetts parents with kids under 12 say they plan to get their children vaccinated when the coronavirus shot is approved for kids under 12 — an okay that could come from the Food & Drug Administration as early as this month.

"I don't want to be that family someone's else's family caught it from," one of the respondents with younger children said.

The parents were among the 3,070 respondents to the latest Patch survey of reader views on the coronavirus pandemic, which was conducted earlier this week. The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.

Read the full story.

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Friday's Other Top Stories

Cop shot, 2 dead in Brockton stand-off: A Brockton police officer was shot four times, another man was murdered, and the suspect shot himself to death Thursday night, Massachusetts District Attorney Timothy Cruz said. Brockton police say they received several 911 calls around 5:45 p.m. Thursday to reports of a man with a gun and shots fired near 62 Taber Ave. in Brockton. Upon arrival, police found a man suffering from gunshot wounds inside a silver SUV, and as they were examining, they were shot at, coming under the gunfire from a second-story window. One officer was struck four times. Also on Patch: Brockton Student Arrested After Bringing Gun To School

Salem welcomes back Halloween: A year after the parade — and virtually every other official municipal Halloween event — was canceled out of coronavirus concerns, the Witch City re-staked its claim as the holiday's hometown with the Salem Chamber of Commerce-presented parade that has become the unofficial kickoff of the spooky season.

Accused Grinch indicted: A Dracut man was indicted Thursday in federal court in connection with three armed robberies at Lowell and Tewksbury convenience stores on Dec. 24, 2020. Michael Vanqpa, 32, was indicted on three counts of interfering with commerce by robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Arrest follows high school fireworks incident: A volley for fireworks landed in the visitor stands at last Friday's Lincoln-Sudbury vs. Fitchburg football game. Sudbury police have charged a juvenile with assault in connection to the incident.

The 2021 Boston Marathon is Monday. Read the latest on Patch's 2021 Boston Marathon hub.

Picture This: Meteor shower peaks

The Draconids meteor shower, which runs from Oct. 6-10, peaks tonight. In Massachusetts, the sun sets at 6:15 p.m.

Marathon Notebook

The Boston Marathon is Monday, and Patch reporters have been profiling local runners who have been waiting more than two years to step up to the starting line. In addition to the stories below, you can find more information on Patch's 2021 Boston Marathon Hub.

• Heading out to watch the marathon in-person on Monday? We have your guide on the best places to watch the 2021 Boston Marathon.
• Watching from home? We have you covered with our guide to watching the 2021 Boston Marathon on TV.
• Actor Brian D'Arcy James has forged a unique relationship to Boston, one sure to be made stronger over the next 26.2 miles.

In Case You Missed It

Coronavirus cases falling in MA: All statewide coronavirus metrics showed a continued decline in the latest data released Thursday by the Department of Public Health, with the average daily case count falling below 1,000 for the first time since early August. At the town level, the majority of communities reported falling positive test rates, according to town-by-town data released Thursday. Sixteen Massachusetts communities didn't report a single positive test over the last two weeks, level from the last report.

Braintree warns students, parents about "slap-a-teacher" prank: Yet another viral TikTok trend has a Braintree student facing a potentially serious punishment for assaulting a teacher Thursday. The school district issued a letter to parents saying the incident was inspired by a TikTok challenge called "Slap a teacher." In the letter, the superintendent says the incident happened Thursday at a Braintree high

By The Numbers

4: The number of coyote attacks reported in Arlington since August. In the latest coyote attack Sunday night, a labradoodle was bitten in the neck seven times and lost part of her ear.