Man Shot And Killed On Saturday, Shootings Up 25% Citywide
EAST NEW YORK – On Saturday, June 20, 2020, minutes after 11:00 am, NYPD received a call that a man had been shot in front of 334 Milford Street.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 35-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his neck. EMS transported him to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. The victim’s name has not been released pending proper family notification.
This will be the 11th person killed in the 75th police precinct this year, up 43%. The four weeks ending on 6/14 saw 6 homicides, double of what the neighborhood saw this time last year. This despite a decrease in shootings from 29 to 21.
Shootings and murders in Brooklyn North are both up this year by 12%. So far this year 37 people have been murdered and 113 shot. Shooting incidents are also up.
Citywide murder is up 25%, shooting sup 24% and there have been 28% more shooting victims than this time last year:
This morning at his daily press conference Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged the issue:
“Now, this weekend, we also saw real challenges out in our streets in terms of gun violence. And this is something we all have to focus on and I know the NYPD is focused on it. We have to address a troubling trend we’ve seen in terms of shootings over the last weeks. Eight shooting incidents, Friday; 18 on Saturday, which is particularly troubling; two yesterday, based on the information we have already,” he confirmed.
What’s going on? Mayor blamed some of it on the hot weather and the fact that shootings prompt retaliation and more shootings:
“Well, we know in the warmer months, unfortunately, historically, there’ve been more shootings. That’s not something we accept, but it’s something we understand and we have to fight against. We know there’s some impact from what’s happened over the months and months with the coronavirus. We know that there’s instances where there’s retaliation between one gang and another. We understand these things, but the fact we understand it doesn’t make us any less – give us any less sense of urgency in addressing it. Particular problems have been showing up in the Bronx and in Brooklyn North, we’re going to be addressing them.”
He tried to reassure that NYPD is addressing these problems and that recently announced initiatives should help, like more cops on the streets for the summer.
“First of all, Summer All Out – this is an initiative we announced a few weeks back – hundreds more officers out on the streets, away from desk jobs, out to the streets so they can be on the front line, addressing gun violence. You’ll see increased car patrols and foot patrols in areas that need them. And you’ll see a moving of resources amongst precincts and commands to address where the problem is greatest.”
Another piece of the city’s response is “leaning into the Cure Violence movement and the Crisis Management System. This is a powerful, powerful reality. Community-based leaders, community members who stop violence before it happens, who intervene, stop retaliations, mediate conflicts. Look, where Cure Violence is strong, where the movement is strong, you see the results. And one example that’s powerful, the sites that are part of the Mayor’s Action Plan, which has been up and running for years, did not see an increase in gun violence over the last week,” de Blasio said.
The Mayor had announced a couple of weeks back an additional $10 million in funding for the Crisis Management System and the Cure Violence movement, which are expected to hire more community residents to do anti-violence work.
“We’re not going back to the bad old days when there was so much violence in the city, nor are we going back to the bad old days where policing was done the wrong way and, in too many cases, police and community could never connect and find that mutual respect,” Mayor said. “In fact, that mutual respect is the way forward and that’s what we will be achieving in the weeks and months and years ahead in this city.”