A 21-year-old man died after being shot in the rear end behind a Bronx apartment building early Wednesday morning, police reported.
Though the motive for the shooting remains unknown, law enforcement sources said, detectives are investigating whether the victim may be a member of a known street gang. He was said to have 20 prior arrests.
Cops said the deadly shooting happened at about 12:22 a.m. on April 7 within the Claremont Parkway-Franklin Houses public housing complex at 544 Claremont Pkwy., across the way from Crotona Park.
Officers from the 42nd Precinct and NYPD PSA 7, in responding to a 911 call about the incident, found the victim unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his buttocks.
EMS rushed the victim to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Police have withheld his identity, pending family notification.
At this hour, police have not yet provided a description of the shooter. The investigation remains ongoing.
Two struck by shots in Brooklyn
Detectives in Brooklyn, meanwhile, continue to look for the gunman who shot and injured two people along a Brooklyn block on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the shooting happened at about 4:10 p.m. on April 6 along East 18th Street near Church Avenue in the Prospect Park South section of the borough.
Officers from the 70th Precinct came to the aid of the two victims: a 43-year-old woman who was shot once in the left thigh, and a 53-year-old man who suffered a gunshot wound to his right arm. Police did not determine whether they were directly targeted by the gunman.
EMS units brought both victims to Kings County Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.
No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said.
Neighbors on the block expressed disgust over the crime, but said they weren’t surprised that it happened.
“This whole block is nothing but trouble day in and down out,” remarked Melissa Robins.
“The reason for this senseless gun violence is what?” Richard Timin added. “This community needs to do better.”
Gun violence continues to be a major concern for the NYPD, which reported that 99 shootings had occurred last month, a 76% increase from the number tallied in March 2020. The surge in gunfire continues even as the NYPD continues making hundreds of gun arrests each month.
As for the Bronx and Brooklyn shootings mentioned above, anyone with information about either case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
