A terrifying video shows a 10-year-old girl and her younger brother were dragged and almost shot on their way to buy candy, which turned into a first-hand look at the city's growing gun violence. As the black-masked gunman repeatedly fired towards his fallen target - who knocked the kids down while attempting to flee - at least a dozen rounds whizzed by the horrified children.
During the violence, the 5-year-old boy's knees shake in fear, per the disturbing video. Thankfully, neither kid was injured. According to police and sources, the disturbance began shortly before 7 p.m. on Sheridan Avenue at Mt. Eden Parkway, directly outside the young children's apartment building.
Traumatized children's parents are too afraid to make a complaint
According to authorities, the masked gunman escaped on a scooter. They said that the targeted man was shot three times and was transported privately to Bronx Lebanon Hospital, where he was in surgery Friday evening. Sources said the victim is likely to survive, NYPost reported.
The parents of the youngsters, who were on their way to purchase candy, spoke with police but were too afraid to complain, said the law enforcement sources. Reports indicate police think the 24-year-old shot man was transported to the hospital in a white Lexus with temporary New Jersey plates, which was subsequently discovered abandoned near the hospital.
It's unclear if the temporary plates were lawful. The NYPD and the mayor launched a crackdown on illegal paper plates on Wednesday to reduce shootings, as gunmen's getaway vehicles regularly use them.
The automobile was discovered abandoned near the hospital. Despite the guy on the ground using them as human shields from the gunman, neither child who was inches away from the fired bullets received even a scrape.
The emotional toll, on the other hand, is significant. That's why family members are allegedly looking to create crowdfunding to assist them in moving out of the area, as per The Sun.
Data shows gun violence doubled in New York
The NYPD told Newsweek that the suspect was joined by a light-skinned guy wearing a white baseball cap, a red long-sleeved shirt, and dark-colored shorts. If anyone has information on the alleged shooter or scooter driver, they should call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline.
CompStat, a statistics system used by the NYPD, reported 687 individuals had been shot in 607 instances in New York City since the start of 2021, the highest year-to-date figure in a decade. According to experts, the pandemic's economic and physical burden escalated gun violence in areas where it already existed.
Crime statisticians have warned about the comparisons of crime data between 2020 and 2021. COVID-19 lockdowns contributed to a reduction in crime around the city in 2020.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stated in May that he expects gun violence to decrease when employment and new policing approaches return to the city. However, gun violence was brought up in both of the city's Democratic mayoral contenders' recent televised debates. Candidates were specifically asked how they would address the city's recent surge in illegal weapons.
In a May interview, Michael LiPetri, the NYPD's chief of crime control strategies, estimated that 75 percent of recent gun violence stemmed from confrontations between crews and gangs of young males. According to Marcos Gonzalez Soler, the mayor's office of criminal justice head, such conflicts accounted for just 40% of recent gun violence in the city.
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