The homicide count this year compared to last has spiked greatly and is a big concern for authorities across the boroughs, Marc Santia reports.
New York City police say they have the suspects in custody responsible for two separate shootings that occurred hours apart in Manhattan last week.
In the shootings, a 19-year-old woman was killed and a 7-year-old girl, as well as a 19-year-old man, were wounded. Three other people were also shot overnight in the Bronx, part of total victims in a 24-hour span.
Police say the deadly shooting of 19-year-old Erica Lopez occurred along Fifth Avenue near 27th Street just after midnight on Friday. The Connecticut teenager had been shot twice in the chest after a gunman fired from a vehicle, striking her just steps away from Madison Square Park. A 21-year-old man, Andres Arias, was also shot but survived. Both victims were found lying on the sidewalk.
The NYPD believes the gunman responsible for the fatal shooting of Erica Lopez was 27-year-old Ruddy Osias of Queens, New York. Osias was arrested over the weekend and faces charges of 2nd degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm.
The fatal shooting came hours after a 7-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man were shot in East Harlem. The girl was grazed in the leg as gunfire erupted when teens started fighting on the corner of East 102nd Street around 6 p.m. Thursday, police said. She wasn't thought to be the intended target. Both of those victims are expected to survive.
Police arrested a 16-year-old male in connection with the shooting of the 7-year-old girl.
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Three other people were also shot overnight; two were an 18-year-old and a 26-year-old man in the Fordham section of the Bronx and the other in Arverne, Queens.
Gun violence has spiked in New York City this month. Last weekend, there were 28 shootings citywide and 38 victims. Compared to this time last year, 2020 has seen 119 more shootings and 158 more victims.
A man who works in an auto body shop nearby heard the gunshots Thursday, but he didn’t realize what it was.
“It was loud. And then I see… I don’t pay attention I thought it was fireworks. Then I see the police cars over there and that’s it," Mohammad Ismail said.
The shootings also come amid an uptick in homicides, which have soared to a five-year high. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said earlier this week that the city's criminal justice system is "imploding."
