New York fell victim again to the scourge of gun violence in America on the Fourth of July, as a reported 24 people were wounded — three fatally — in shootings across the city after nightfall Monday night.
The victims included two men killed in an apparent shootout at a Brooklyn bodega; a man fatally wounded in a Bronx drive-by shooting; and four people who took bullets while enjoying a cookout at a Queens home.
In all, according to published reports, the NYPD tallied 14 separate shootings between July 4 and 5 — all of which occurred in the shadow of Monday’s horrific mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, where six people were murdered and more than 30 injured by a gunman who apparently decided to kill Americans enjoying their right to live and watch a July 4 parade.
As for the gun violence New York experienced after sunset Monday night, police sources said an “excessive amount” of victims were people wounded in shootings at July 4 barbecues.
That includes the four individuals wounded in the Queens cookout shooting, which occurred at about 10:14 p.m. on July 4 at a home in the vicinity of 171st Street and 137th Avenue in Rochdale.
According to law enforcement sources, the four victims were enjoying a July 4 barbecue at the location when an unidentified shooter arrived on the scene and began firing on the attendees.
The suspect had fled long before officers from the 113th Precinct arrived on the scene.
Three of the four victims — a 42-year-old woman and two men, ages 31 and 33 — suffered gunshot wounds to their right foot. A fourth victim, a 29-year-old man, was shot in the right shoulder, authorities said.
EMS rushed all four people to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition.
Police have yet to ascertain a motive for the incident, or a description of the perpetrator responsible. No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information regarding the Queens cookout shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
