Moments after a Brooklyn crowd mourned the murder of a beloved church caretaker a day earlier, a man in his 20s was shot and wounded on Tuesday just a few steps away.
Cops said the man, not immediately identified, was apparently walking with a shopping bag from Kith, a popular apparel shop, in front of 355 Chauncey St. near Ralph Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant when he was approached by the gunman, who whipped out a handgun and pulled the trigger.
The victim was hit in the stomach, police said, but was able to flee the attacker, dropping his shopping bag at the scene, and leaving his hat in front of an ice cream stand, where only moments earlier children had bought chocolate cones.
Officers from the 81st Precinct found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside of Raslin Deli, at the corner of Bainbridge Street and Ralph Avenue. Family members flocked to the scene and tried to comfort the man being wheeled into an ambulance.
He was last reported in stable condition at Kings County Medical Center.
Police described the attacker as a short Black man, wearing a black hat and hoodie who fled in a grey Mazda CX5 heading eastbound along Bainbridge Street.
Nearby residents were desultory over the latest shooting in their community.
“These people just won’t stop – they think they can get away with this every day,” said one witness who wouldn’t give his name. “This is simply getting crazy – it’s like every day.”
The shooting happened moments after a community vigil for Edward James, 62, a beloved church caretaker who was shot to death on Aug. 31.
Law enforcement sources said an unidentified gunman chased James into the Glorious Church of God in Christ on Halsey Street and opened fire in the sanctuary, hitting him in the back. James died of his injuries at Kings County Hospital.
Anyone with information regarding 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.
