Five people were shot citywide Friday night into Saturday, with a police surge seemingly tamping down shooting casualties in most of the boroughs.
The shooting reduction in Brooklyn seems to be a result of heavier police presence and pressure on the warring gangs that have been waging an endless bloodbath. That war resulted in six dead and scores wounded since last weekend and a 60% surge in shootings over last year. The shootings created outrage when a 1-year-old was killed in a stroller in Bedford-Stuyvesant last Sunday.
Police were observed providing higher visibility in some of the harder hit areas of Canarsie, East New York and Brownsville where all of the victims were people of color. The mayor also visited Bedford Stuyvesant yesterday, determined to squelch the violence plaguing the borough.
Much of the gang violence came as a result of the arrest of five people in connection with the murder of rapper Pop Smoke in his Hollywood mansion in February. The rapper who hails from Canarsie, Brooklyn, had strong connections to the Crips gang and it is believed that a rival gang was involved in the home invasion murder.
Here’s the overnight tally of shootings:
July 17, 4:30 p.m. – A 25-year-old man was shot in the leg while walking in front of 77 East 125th St. near Park Avenue in Harlem. He was taken to Harlem Hospital in stable condition, police from the 25th Precinct reported. The assailant is not known at this time as victim has not been cooperative.
July 17, 11:56 p.m. – A 24-year-old man was shot int he leg while walking on Cedar Avenue in the Bronx. The 46th Precinct found him with a leg wound and he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. No description was provided of the shooter.
July 18, 12:35 a.m. – A 17-year-old male was shot in the right leg in front of 4092 Monticello Ave. in the Bronx. The 47th Precinct found him after receiving a 911 call of shots fired. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital in stable condition. It was not known who fired the shot.
July 18, 1:15 a.m. – A 53-year-old man was shot in the shoulder by an unknown assailant in a red SUV at the corner of Chauncey Street and Saratoga Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant. He was taken to Interfaith Medical Center in stable condition. The 81st Precinct is investigating.
July 18, 2:38 a.m. – An 18-year-old man was shot in the leg at the corner of East 161st Street and Morris Avenue. Officers from the 43rd Precinct found him wounded on the sidewalk and he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. No description was given of the shooter and the victim is said to be uncooperative.
Anyone with information on 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.
