NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A 22-year-old boy was shot in the shoulder at the site of a memorial to the teenagers who suffered the shooting in Brooklyn.
The guy was taken to Brookdale Hospital and is expected to be okay.
The shooting took place Monday night on Vernon Street in Cypress Hills, near George Walker Jr. Park.
That’s where Kleimer Méndez, 16, and Antonio Villa, 18, were killed while playing basketball the night before. A 17-year-old was also injured.
“People were attending the vigil, and an individual about 50 yards away – two individuals – were firing their guns and striking one individual,” Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said Tuesday. “This has become a problematic area, seems like we believe there’s a nexus to gang violence.”
– Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) July 27, 2020
NEW York police released a disturbing new video of Sunday’s shooting in which the gunman opened the chimney from the sunroof of a dark-colored Honda CRV.
“I heard the shot, six shots, gunshots. I turned around, the bodies were on the ground,” said one witness.
Police believe the targets were the ones affected.
Friends say the youngest, Mendez, was very quiet when he played basketball, his favorite pastime.
Neighbors who spoke to CBS2 said they were scared.
“People are unhappy because he’s a little boy, like me,” said one person.
Natalie Duddridge of CBS2 reports that, at most, others did not need to speak in front of the camera on Tuesday for fear of reprisals.
“That’s one of the things we’re seeing is talking reluctantly to the police department, but to be able to prevent the violence that’s happening, not just here on this block but all over the city, we’re going to want the community,” he added. Harrison said.
WEB EXTRA: Tracking filming in New York
On Monday, there were 10 shootings in New York City with 12 victims and one dead. Recent nyPD Compstat highs show that patients have increased by nearly 80%. So far this year, 919 more people have been shot, up from 515 last year.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea says the criminal justice formula is working.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said again Tuesday he is cracking down.
“The NYPD uses new strategies, moving agents where the need is greatest. We call on the state to reopen the justice system,” he said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also spoke Tuesday afternoon and said the city and the state would deal with the outbreak of violence without President Donald Trump.
“I don’t think the answer is that the president is sending federal troops, I don’t think there’s any legal justification for that, I don’t think that’s helpful,” Cuomo said.
Police are still looking for the suspects in both Sunday and Monday night’s shootings.
Again, Mayor and City Council, what you are doing now does not appear to be protecting our communities. We cannot wait for you to get it together with new programs etc.. You need to work to implement the resources that are out there right now to protect us. Do your jobs.