Three young men who were shot in what Springfield police are describing as a gang-related incident are expected to recover.

Police spokesman John Delaney says gunfire erupted late Monday night following a "verbal and physical fight" in the city’s North End.

Twenty-one-year-old Justin Garafa, 20-year-old Alberto Nieves and 18-year-old Geovanni Saldana were taken to Baystate Medical Center. All three are listed in stable condition.


Investigators believe all three have ties to gangs.

Delaney said a large crowd created a disturbance outside the hospital’s emergency room while the men were being treated. A teenage girl was arrested after refusing to leave the hospital and becoming violent with police.