Two young cousins in Brooklyn were shot and wounded Monday night while playing in a park in a police precinct plagued by gun violence all year.
According to NYPD Assistant Chief Scott Henderson and Deputy Chief John Mastronardi, the incident unfolded at the Hilltop playground on Dean Street near Thomas S. Boyland Street in Brownsville, within the 73rd Precinct‘s confines, at around 9:05 p.m. on June 3.
Police said the victims, both girls ages 9 and 11, were inside the park playing under the watchful eye of the older girl’s mother when two gunmen entered the area and began firing.
Early on in the investigation, sources familiar with the case said, it’s believed the girls were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time by shooters looking to settle a gang-related score with rivals.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that there were possibly two shooters that fired at least six rounds in the direction that the children were playing,” Chief Henderson said. “Thankfully, both young girls are conscious and alert.”
Police say the 9-year-old was shot in the right leg while the 11-year-old suffered a bullet wound to her back. A family member rushed the cousins to Brookdale Hospital, where they are expected to recover.
Cops recovered two sets of shell casings, confirming there were at least two shooters.
“We’re not going to rule out gang-related incidents that are problematic to this particular area,” Chief Mastronardi said, also noting the debris left in the wake of the shooting.
“The children came into the park to play and as you can see behind us their Crocs are still on the field,” he added.
Monday night’s shooting occurred nearly 36 hours after 14-year-old Josai Guy was shot and killed at the Howard Houses on Osborn Street in Brownsville. Guy’s 12-year-old cousin, who allegedly shot the teenager while playing with a shotgun, was booked on manslaughter charges.
Through May 26, the 73rd Precinct had seen 12 homicides, up 200% from the four reported at the same point last year; there have also been 23 shootings with 27 injuries year-to-date, up from 14 shootings with 15 related injuries year-to-date in 2023, according to the most recent CompStat report.
Meanwhile, police asking anyone with information regarding Monday night’s shooting to come forward.
Anyone with information regarding the 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 X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
