Two Teens Shot on Church Avenue in Separate Incidents on Friday
FLATBUSH & EAST FLATBUSH – Two teenagers were shot Friday afternoon and evening in separate incidents on busy Church Avenue in Flatbush and East Flatbush, police said. Both teens are expected to survive their wounds and no suspects have been arrested as yet.
FLATBUSH – The first incident occurred at 4:10 p.m. in front of 884 Flatbush Avenue at Church Avenue, when a 19-year-old man walking south was approached by two unidentified teens, one shooting the victim in the buttocks. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.
“I was in my shop and I heard two shots – this never happens here,” said one dress shop owner who would not be identified, as several women waited nearby to pick up dresses for prom. “I haven’t seen any shootings here in my 13-years here. It’s just so busy. I saw him laying on the floor after the shooting – so many people around him.”
A shoe store manager was also surprised to see a shooting at this site. “I’ve been here for 5-years and you see some incidents here from Erasmus High School, but you never see a shooting,” the manager said, not wanting to be identified.
The suspect was identified as a black man, tall in stature, skinny build. He was last seen wearing dark clothing and white sneakers. The intersection was closed for about an hour, causing severe traffic snarls. The 70th Precinct is investigating.
EAST FLATBUSH – The second incident occurred at 8:30 p.m., when a 17-year-old boy was shot in the right leg at the corner of Church Avenue and East 53rd Street. He reportedly told police that he heard the shots and then felt pain in his leg. He was taken to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. This incident was being investigated by the 67th Precinct, one of four precincts that received extra officers in operation “All-Out,” a program announced last Wednesday by Chief of Department Terrence Monahan.
Anyone with information in regard to either of these incidents are asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.