Five Dead, One Injured In Four Separate Shootings Over The Weekend
BROOKLYN – This was another weekend with shootings and deaths. In four separate shootings across the borough, five people died, including a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old.
On Friday, July 24, around 5:30 p.m., 39-year-old Ancil Blackman was shot in the face in front of a church on President Street near Rogers Avenue in Crown Heights, near his home, in the 71st Precinct. He was taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Kings County and was pronounced dead. Blackman was a building porter and was on his way home from work when he was shot, Daily News repoerted.
As of last week, there have been three murders in the 71st Precinct this year so far, which encompasses the southern portions of Crown Heights, Wingate, and Prospect Lefferts Garden. Last year, there were just two. Shootings have more than doubled so far this year compared to the same time period last year, police data shows. In 2019, from January to now, there were seven shooting incidents, with ten people who were shot. This year, there have been 15 shooting incidents, with 22 shooting victims. The numbers have yet to be updated for this week.
Then, at around 10:20 p.m., police responded to another shooting in Crown Heights. They arrived on Dean Street near Troy Avenue in the 77th Precinct where 17-year-old Jahiem Guinn was shot to the head right in front of his house. He was taken to Interfaith Hospital and was pronounced dead.
As of last week, there have been nine murders this year so far in the 77th Precinct, which encompasses Crown Heights and Prospect Heights. Last year, there were just six. In the same Precinct, 22-year-old Armani Hamilton was shot and killed on Pacific Street near Buffalo Avenue last Wednesday.
Shootings have almost doubled so far this year compared to the same time period last year, police data shows. In 2019, from January to now, there were 15 shooting incidents, resulting in 16 shooting victims This year, there have been 28 shooting incidents, resulting in 31 shooting victims. The numbers have yet to be updated for this week.
On Sunday, July 26 at around 6:38 p.m., a shooting took place on Vermont Street near Crosby Avenue in Cypress Hills (75th Precinct). Cops found three young men who were shot. 16-year-old Kleimer P. Mendez was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. 17-year-old was shot in the leg and was taken to Brookdale Hospital and is in stable condition. 18-year-old Antonia Villa was shot in the head and was taken to New York City Health and Hospitals/ Kings County. He later died from his injuries.
“This is heartbreaking. His life was just beginning,” Mayor Bill de Blasio Tweeted. “Sending my thoughts and prayers to the families of these boys. No parent should ever have to bury a child.”
As of last week, there have been 19 murders this year so far in the 75th Precinct, which encompasses East New York and Cypress Hills. Last year, there were just seven. As for shootings, from January to now in 2019, there were 31 shooting incidents with 37 shooting victims. This year, there have been 50 shooting incidents, with 58 shooting victims. The numbers have yet to be updated for this week.
Then, at around 7:00 p.m., there was another shooting on East 16th Street between Dorchester and Cortelyou Roads in Flatbush. A 32-year old man was shot in the face and the chest. He was taken to New York City Health and Hospital/Kings County and was pronounced dead. His name has not yet been released.
As of last week, there has been just one murder this year so far in the 70th Precinct, which encompasses Midwood, Fiske Terrace, Ditmas Park, Flatbush, and Prospect Park South. Last year, there were two. As for shootings, from January to now in 2019, there were six shooting incidents with seven people who were shot. This year, there have been eight shooting incidents with nine people who were shot. The numbers have yet to be updated for this week.
For any of the weekend murders, there have been zero arrests made and the investigations are still ongoing.
Anyone with information in regard to these incidents is 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 Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
