Three young people in two boroughs were killed on Sunday night in a pair of separate shootings, authorities said.
According to police sources, two victims were gunned down at the corner of East 128th Street and Lexington Avenue in East Harlem at about 7:27 p.m. on March 24.
Officers from the 25th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call about gunfire, found 25-year-old Harry Mendoza of Washington Heights and 18-year-old Ashley Ballard of Harlem with bullet wounds to their heads. It is not yet known if the two victims knew each other, according to published reports.
The pair was swiftly rushed to Harlem Hospital where Ballard was pronounced dead just after 8 p.m.; Mendoza succumbed to his injuries just before 10 p.m., law enforcement sources said.
Investigators sealed off the block of Lexington Avenue between East 127th and 128th Streets where a large patch of blood could be seen on the sidewalk. Police could also be observed using drones to survey the area of the shooting.
The motive for the shooting remains unknown and under investigation. So far, no arrests have been made in the case.
As the East Harlem murder investigation unfolded, police in Brooklyn responded to the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old male at about 7:45 p.m. on March 24.
Officers from the 67th Precinct found 17-year-old Bryan Henriquez shot in the neck and torso in an alleyway between two homes on the 200 block of East 37th Street in East Flatbush.
EMS whisked Henriquez to Kings County Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds a short time later. The motive for the deadly shooting was also not yet known.
No arrests have been made in either shooting and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding any of the shootings 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 (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
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