The latest outburst of gun violence in Brooklyn between Thursday night and Friday morning killed one man and injured five others, police said.
Cops have been trying to keep up with the flurry of gun violence that has hit not just Brooklyn but rather the entire city. A number of incidents, law enforcement sources, involved disputes that disintegrated into gun battles, while others have involved rival gang members opening fire on each other on the streets, not far from where children play.
The first of the evenings shootings occurred at 6:45 p.m. on July 2 in front of the Plaza Residence at 41 New Lots Ave., a private residential housing complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Police from the 73rd Precinct found a male 20, shot in the head and a female 36, shot in the arm and stomach.
Both were rushed to Brookdale University Medical Center, where the man was pronounced dead and the woman was reported in stable condition.
Police say the woman may have been an innocent bystander hit in the cross fire. Cops believe the man was the intended target. No description of the suspect was given, police say.
“We must figure out a way to get guns out of these young people’s hands. I’ll never understand the need for gun violence,” said a Brownsville resident who identified himself as JW.
“These people live in fear every day. It is all so trivial,” added another Brownsville resident, Bruce Peters.
The second shooting of the evening occurred at 10:14 p.m. on July 2, when a 26-year-old man was shot in the right foot by an unknown person near the Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses public housing complex.
According to police, the victim arrived a short time later by private transport at Coney Island Hospital by private car. He told detectives from the 61st Precinct that he was shot while walking in front of the complex at 3661 Nostrand Ave.
Law enforcement sources said the victim claimed that he heard the shots that sounded like firecrackers, then suddenly felt pain in his foot from the bullet wound. He could not provide further information or any motive.
At 11 p.m. on July 2, a 25-year-old man was shot during a shoot-out at 5715 Avenue H in the NYCHA Glenwood Houses. Police from the 63rd Precinct found the victim sprawled on the ground with gunshot wounds to the chest and leg.
He was rushed to Kings County Hospital in stable condition, police said.
Investigators believe the man may have been a combatant in the shooting where numerous vehicles were hit by bullets in the crossfire. A Nissan, Kia, Honda SUV and Toyota all had bullet holes in the body and windows.
Police were studying NYCHA video to determine who was involved in this latest shooting in the Glenwood Houses, a well-known corner for shootings.
The final shooting of the night in Brooklyn was at 12:20 a.m. on July 3 in front of 246 Madison St., where two 21-year-old men were shot in front of the location.
Police from the 79th Precinct found the two men wounded at the scene, a male shot in the mouth, and the male shot in the butt and back.
Both were said to be in stable condition at Kings County Hospital. Neither wound was said to be life-threatening, police officials said.
Investigators said it was unclear how the shooting occurred, but believe the attackers may have been in a vehicle. Few other details were available on this attack.
These ongoing violent attacks are coming on the heels of major cuts to the NYPD and some believe it will slow response times in busy neighborhoods. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is seeking a probe into slower response times caused possibly by morale or anger at ongoing protests.
Anthony Beckford, president of Black Lives Matter of Brooklyn, said he mourns the numerous people killed and injured from street violence and he called on gang members to “cease fire.”
“When we say Black Lives Matter, it’s not just due to the police violence, but it’s also due to the violence in our community and there is a better way and solution and that is for our elected officials to provide adequate funding and resources, so these guns can be traded off for something better in the community – give our youth an opportunity they never had before,” Beckford said. “It makes no use of us diminishing the number in our communities as we are out here fighting against the system that is already doing that through police brutality and mass incarceration. There is no purpose of us pushing police away so we can control our communities if you, the gangs, are going to do the exact opposite to bring them back in.”
Anyone with information regarding any of the most recent Brooklyn 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.
With reporting by Lloyd Mitchell
