Two Dead, Four Others Injured In Shooting Outside Of A Flatbush Avenue Church

Two people were killed and four others were injured after gunfire erupted as hundreds of people were leaving a wake or a funeral at the Emmanuel Church of God (1365 Flatbush Avenue, near Foster Avenue) Monday night, according to police, community activists and other residents at the scene.

A man in an SUV fired shots at the large crowd outside the church around 8:30pm, according to officials. Two men in their 40s died from gunshot wounds at Kings County Hospital and four other individuals have been hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, officials told us.

According to the Daily News, the suspect was described as a Hispanic man in his 20s who was wearing a Yankees hat and a white T-shirt. No arrests have been made yet, the NYPD told us.

“I was sitting in my room, just home from work, when I heard what I thought was fireworks,”  said neighbor Joseph M., who sent us the video below. “There were about 20 to 25 shots fired. I immediately opened my window and looked out and saw people screaming, traffic stopped on Flatbush Avenue for the light on Foster were speeding, trying to get out of there before they were hit. Lots of people screaming and running, crying out what is presumably one of the victim’s names.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPkqmdWiVsQ&feature=em-upload_owner

Charles, another neighbor, told us he too heard the rapid gunfire.

“I was not far from there — I go to church around here — when I heard the shots,” he said at Foster and Flatbush, where, by around 10:30pm, numerous community leaders and other neighbors gathered. “It is so awful. I am just praying.”

While several neighbors said the individuals were attending a wake for Jose Robles, a 38-year-old man who the New York Times reported died of a heart attack on April 16, others reported it was a funeral, including Democratic District Leader Geoffrey Davis.

“How can a family mourn when there are bullets flying?” Davis asked. “This happens at a funeral? This is outrageous.

“We’re sick and tired of the violence,” he continued. “I’m telling young people to stop the madness.”

Councilman Jumaane Williams,who is Deputy Leader and co-chair of the City Council’s Taskforce to Combat Gun Violence, arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting and said he and other community leaders came out to the scene of the crime in part to “make sure no one retaliates.”

The legislator arrived at the scene with Shanduke McPhatte, executive director of Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes (GMACC). Williams is working with the violence interrupter service for instances such as this, where they can help “extinguish the flame,” according to a member of Williams’ office, before the violence potentially escalates into something even worse.

Several elected leaders, including Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, will join Williams, McPhatte, and others at the church on Tuesday, April 28 at 8am as part of an anti-violence rally where they also hope to discuss initiatives that can be established to help prevent similar tragedies.

“We have to have a proactive approach to violence,” said community activist Tony Herbert, who too was at the crime scene Tuesday night. “Our ‘One Family, One Community’ initiative is bringing 130 organizations together — we’re throwing all our resources together to reach young people.

“‘One Family, One Comunity’ … helps to identify young people who have had run-ins with the police — we can mentor them,” Herbert continued.

Our thoughts go out to the victims and their family and friends.

Corner Media Managing Editor Mary Bakija contributed reporting to this article.