A search continued Tuesday for a pair of gunmen who opened fire on a man in a New York City playground, hitting two children who were caught in the cross fire, police said.
The shooting in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn erupted Monday night as the girls, ages 9 and 11, were playing on a field at the Hilltop Playground, according to New York City Police Department investigators.
New York City police officers investigate a shooting on June 3, 2024, that left two girls, ages 9 and 11, wounded at a Hilltop Playground in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
WABC
“Unfortunately, we’re here on a nice spring evening to talk about yet another senseless act of gun violence directed toward our most vulnerable youth,” Assistant Chief Scott Henderson, commanding officer of the Brooklyn North patrol division, said at a news conference at the playground where the girls were shot.
The shooting erupted around 9:05 p.m. as the girls, whose names were not immediately released by police, were playing on the artificial grass of the playground’s main field, Henderson said.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that there were possibly two shooters that fired at least six rounds in the direction the children were playing,” Henderson said. “At this time, it is unknown who the intended target was.”
NYPD Deputy Chief John Mastronardi, commanding officer of the Detective Borough Brooklyn North, said the shooting occurred in front of one of the girls’ mothers.
New York City police officers investigate a shooting on June 3, 2024, that left two girls, ages 9 and 11, wounded at a Hilltop Playground in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
WABC
“The mother of the 11-year-old was watching from a park bench as the children were playing in the middle of the field,” Mastronardi said.
Security video reviewed by detectives captured two gunmen entering the playground and both opening fire on a yet-to-be-identified individual, but ended up hitting the girls in the crossfire, Mastronardi said. He said, based on preliminary evidence, the children were not the intended targets of the shooting.
No arrests have been announced and detectives asked for the public’s help in identifying the gunmen.
Mastronardi said the 9-year-old girl was shot in the right leg while the 11-year-old was shot in the back.
Family members took both girls to Brookdale Hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Henderson said. He said the younger child was later transferred to Maimonides Medical Center for further treatment.
A motive for the shooting remained under investigation.
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“At this time, we’re exploring multiple avenues of possible motives for this type of incident, but we’re not going to rule out gang-related incidents that are problematic to this particular area of Brooklyn,” Mastronnardi said.
He pointed out several pairs of shoes scattered on the playground, including those worn by the young victims.
Henderson said investigators recovered shell casings at the scene from two different caliber guns.
“Our detectives will be working diligently to apprehend the individuals responsible for this horrendous act of violence,” Henderson said.
Several pairs of Crocs were left behind on a field at the Hilltop Playground in Brownsville, Brooklyn, including those worn by two children, ages 9 and 11, who were shot there on June 3, 2024.
WABC
Parents and grandparents who frequent the park said the shooting left them worried for their children.
“I’m angry. I’m upset. I’m hurt because children are in this park all the time. I was in the park with my grandson, who is a year old,” one resident told ABC New York City station WABC, adding she knows one of the girls who was shot and saw her at the playground over the weekend.
The young victims are among 324 children 11 years old or younger who have been shot in incidents across the nation in the first five months of the year, including 94 who were killed, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks all U.S. shootings.
Authorities in New York City are currently on the hunt for suspects involved in the shooting of two young girls at a playground in the Bronx. The incident, which occurred on Monday evening, has left the community in shock and has raised concerns about the safety of children in public spaces.
The two girls, ages 3 and 5, were playing at the playground in Claremont Park when shots rang out. Both girls were struck by bullets and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Thankfully, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, but the emotional trauma of such a violent attack will likely have lasting effects on the young victims.
Police are still investigating the motive behind the shooting and are actively searching for the individuals responsible. Witnesses have reported seeing a group of men fleeing the scene after the shots were fired, but so far no arrests have been made.
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the senseless violence that plagues many communities, particularly in urban areas. Children should be able to play freely and without fear in public spaces, and it is unacceptable that they are being put in harm’s way by individuals who choose to settle their disputes with guns.
Community leaders and residents are calling for justice for the young girls and are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and assist police in their investigation. The safety of our children should be a top priority, and it is crucial that those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice.
In the meantime, parents are being reminded to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to authorities. It is important for all members of the community to work together to ensure the safety of our children and to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future.
As the search for suspects continues, we can only hope that those responsible for this senseless act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. Our thoughts are with the young girls and their families as they recover from this traumatic experience.
