At least five people in Brooklyn were shot Monday in what police say were three drive-by shootings believed to be connected to one suspect.
The chaos unfolded mostly on Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie. Because the victims were shot in multiple locations over the course of the same spree, there was initially some confusion as to how many people were actually hit in total.
The NYPD said a 23-year-old woman was shot four times in the chest. About 12 minutes later, three men, all aged 19, were shot in the extremities and back. About two minutes later, another 19-year-old man was shot in the back; a woman riding on a scooter with him was injured falling off.
All the victims were taken to Brookdale Hospital; no one is in custody as of 9 p.m. Police said the shootings were all targeted, and they are looking for a white four-door sedan. They released a photo of that vehicle Tuesday, saying those who were inside during the shooting spree are considered armed and dangerous.
In a 24-hour period on Monday, 18 people were wounded in 14 shootings across New York City. The violence came less than 24 hours after another shooting in Brooklyn that claimed the life of a 1-year-old boy and left three others injured.
Mayor Bill de Blasio decried the recent violence in his daily briefing Tuesday, expressing deep condolences particularly for the family of the 1-year-old.
News
"No parent, no family should ever have to go through that," the mayor said. "You experience something like that, you could easily fall into despair."
He said community leaders had already convened meetings to help turn the tide in partnership with the NYPD. The mayor called for everyone to work harder to "overcome whatever divisions exist and make our communities safe again."
