Three teens were shot while playing basketball in Brooklyn Sunday, killing a 16 and 18-year-old in a series of shootings citywide that resulted in the death of a total of four people, with five others wounded in continuing gun violence.
A total of eight people were killed over the weekend in a variety of homicides, police say.
This fresh wave of shooting comes as a family of a 1-year-old boy prepares to bury their son after he and four other people were shot at a barbecue party in Bedford Stuyvesant on July 12. Despite the outrage over the death, the violence has continued unabated.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said on NY1 this morning that the department was trying reign in the violence, but has been hampered by unrestrained gang activity, judicial logjams, violent disputes within large crowds and the continued protests in which large amounts of resources are required to keep those crowds from unhinged vandalism and disruption of city streets.
“There have been fistfights going on that turn into gun battles, and then the police are chasing armed suspects without firing a shot – there’s a lot of gang activity, the court situation and while there are a lot of resources focused on keeping New Yorker’s safe, we need people participating in the system to come forward as witnesses, taking part in the grand jury system – we must get our hands around what is going on,” Shea said.
Shea recalled one day with 15 shootings saying “that’s not a success.” He said there are “repeat gun offenders, gang situations, large groups on streets drinking alcohol and that remains a challenge.”
There were two homicides in Brooklyn Sunday night, including a 16-year-old playing basketball in Cypress Hills where two others were also hit – one is in critical condition after a bullet wound to the head.
Here’s a rundown of the overnight shootings:
July 26, 4:13 a.m. – Police from the 102nd Precinct found a 40-year-old man shot in the back in front of 84-12 91 Avenue in Queens. EMS rushed the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where later yesterday evening he was pronounced dead from the wound.
The victim has been identified as Ifill Shaka, 40, of Park Avenue in the Bronx. Police did not say what he was doing in Queens or the nature of the shooting. The 102nd Precinct detective unit is investigating.
July 26, 5:42 a.m. – Police received a call of an assault in progress in the vicinity of Grote Street and Prospect Avenue, in the Bronx. Police from the 48 Precinct found a 20-year-old man shot in the groin and a 24-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS rushed both men to St. Barnabas Hospital where the 24-year-old male was pronounced deceased; the 20-year-old male was listed as stable.
The deceased man was identified as Juan Carlos Ortega, 24, of Manhattan.
Police later arrested Casado Joam, 39, of Crotona Avenue in the Bronx. He was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, which police are said to have recovered. The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
July 26, 6:38 p.m. – Three teens playing basketball in George Walker Park at 62 Vermont Street in Cypress Hills were shot, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old. A 17-year-old was shot in the leg and is at Brookdale University Medical Center.
Police from the 75th Precinct found the three shot at the scene, where the 16-year-old was pronounced dead, a sheet covering the body immediately after the incident. Some family members were already on the scene, some were crying and refused comment.
Police have now identified the two as Kleimer Mendez, 16, of Schenck Avenue and Antonio Villa, 18, of Wyonna Street.
One resident who asked not to be identified said, “I play basketball all the time in that park, and I always feel its safe,” he said.
July 26, 7 p.m. – Police from the 70th Precinct received a 911 call of a male shot in front of 405 East 16 Street in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. There, they found a 32-year-old man shot in the chest and face. EMS rushed the victim to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The victim has not yet been identified and no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing and detectives are studying security video.
July 26, 8:27 p.m. – Police from the 48th Precinct found a 22-year-old man shot in the abdomen in front of 1984 Marion Avenue in the Bronx. He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. Police say he has been uncooperative thus far and no witnesses are available.
July 26, 11:22 p.m. – Police from the 75th Precinct found a 29-year-old man shot in the leg in front of 2087 Fulton Street near Jerome Street in East New York, Brooklyn. He was taken to Brookdale University Medical Center in stable condition. No description was available at press time.
In addition to these people victims, there were reports of shots fired in all five boroughs. Police are also said to have made a gun arrest on New York Avenue and Snyder Avenue in the 67th Precinct – details are forthcoming.
Anyone with information in regard to any of these shootings is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
