The wee hours of Saturday morning saw three deadly shootings in four hours across the Bronx and Queens, police reported.
Law enforcement sources said the first homicide happened in Far Rockaway, Queens, where a 38-year-old man was gunned down in front of an apartment building at 151 Beach 26th St. at about 1:01 a.m. on Aug. 14.
Officers from the 101st Precinct, in responding to a 911 call, found the victim unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his torso.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police determined that two unidentified men approached the victim at the location, pulled out firearms and opened fire. After shooting the man multiple times, they hopped into a nearby vehicle that fled the scene.
EMS units rushed the victim to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have withheld his identity, pending family notification.
Sources familiar with the investigation said detectives are investigating a possible link between the shooting and gang activity, as the victim has prior arrests for charges including gang assault.
The bloodshed continued in the Bronx an hour later, where a man was gunned down near Woodlawn Cemetery just after 2 a.m. on Aug. 14, authorities said.
Members of the 50th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call, found the unconscious 20-year-old man with a bullet wound to his head at the corner of Jerome and Bainbridge Avenues in Norwood.
According to police, the unidentified shooter ambushed the victim as he sat in a scooter. Cops said the suspect walked up to the victim and opened fire, striking the man in the head.
Responding EMS units pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The NYPD has withheld his identity, pending family notification.
Two hours later, cops in the Bronx found two people shot in an apparent drive-by shooting front of an apartment building at 1770 Davidson Ave. in Morris Heights at about 4:11 a.m. on Aug. 14.
Officers from the 46th Precinct found a 27-year-old man with gunshot wounds to his chest and right leg, and a 23-year-old man shot in the torso.
According to law enforcement sources, the victims were standing at the location when a red SUV pulled up, and several unidentified individuals inside the vehicle opened fire.
After firing the shots, cops said, the shooters fled in the red SUV in an unknown direction.
EMS rushed the 27-year-old man to BronxCare Health System, where he was pronounced dead. The 23-year-old man is in stable condition at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Brooklyn shooting wounds three
Police in Brooklyn are also investigating a triple-shooting near a public housing complex early Saturday morning that left three men injured.
Law enforcement sources said the gunfire erupted at about 12:13 a.m. on Aug. 14 at the Louis Armstrong Houses located near the corner of Lexington and Marcy Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
According to authorities, the three victims were involved in a dispute that broke out at the location for unknown reasons. The argument led the unidentified suspect to open fire on the three men before fleeing the scene.
Officers from the 79th Precinct responded to a 911 call about the shooting and encountered an 18-year-old man shot in the left ankle; a 27-year-old man shot in the left leg; and a 26-year-old man hit in the right arm.
All three victims were removed by EMS to Kings County Hospital for treatment of injuries not considered life-threatening.
So far, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said.
Deli shooting investigated
Meanwhile, Bronx detectives continue to look for the gunman who murdered a 21-year-old man inside a deli on Friday afternoon.
Jayquan Lewis, 21, was shot multiple times while visiting a bodega at 2550 Bainbridge Ave. in Fordham Manor at about 4:09 p.m. on Aug. 13. The victim lived at an apartment building just down the block from the location.
Police said the unidentified gunman walked up to Lewis as the victim stood at the register, and began blasting away. He shot Lewis three times in the chest and left arm, and once in the stomach, then fled the scene.
Officers from the 52nd Precinct found the wounded Lewis unconscious and unresponsive while responding to a 911 call about the incident. EMS units rushed him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Anyone with information regarding any of the shootings can 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.
