New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condoled the death of a seven-month-old baby who was killed in what was believed to be a “gang-motivated” shooting.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch was quoted by CBS News as saying on Wednesday evening that the baby, sitting in her stroller, was killed by an apparent stray bullet fired during a “gang-motivated” shooting in Brooklyn.
One person of interest was taken in custody, and police launched “a massive NYPD manhunt” for a second suspect.
“A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani was quoted as saying at the early evening press conference.
“As we grieve this loss, I am grateful for the NYPD’s continued work to find all those responsible for this murder, and to bring them to justice,” Mamdani said.
What happened exactly? Video reveals…
A purported video of the incident showed two suspects on a moped driving out of 24 Humboldt St. at the Bushwick Houses, just minutes before the shooting in East Williamsburg around 1:15 p.m., Tisch was quoted by CBS news as saying.
“As they approach the intersection of Moore Street, the male sitting at the rear of the moped can be seen taking out a gun and discharging at least two rounds towards the southwest corner. On that corner were several adults, as well as two strollers and several children standing nearby,” the commissioner reportedly said.
Tisch said a child, identified as 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore, was being pushed in a stroller when she suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
After hearing the shots, the child’s mother ducked into a nearby bodega, where she noticed her little girl bleeding.
“When she looked at the stroller and the baby is bleeding, she go crazy,” deli employee Abdo Alzokari was quoted as saying.
Her father then rushed the child to Woodhull Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“I thought it was fireworks, but then they hit me on my leg. I got like little metal pieces on my leg,” witness Bernius Maldonado said.
“And then all the kids started ducking in the corner. The family went to the store and the mom started screaming when she noticed the baby was bleeding from [her] head. The baby was lifeless … and the father just picked up the baby and ran to the hospital,” the witness added.
Two suspects fled the scene on the moped. However, the video showed that their moped crashed into an oncoming car two blocks from the scene, the commissioner said.
Both suspects were thrown from the scooter, with the rear passenger landing so hard on the pavement his shoes came flying off. They were later recovered by police.
“It was a boom when they hit it,” witness Domingo Bonilla said. “They crashed into the car, and they flipped over.”
Where are the suspects now?
Police said they received a 911 call related to that crash at approximately 1:25 pm.
One of the men was taken to Brooklyn Hospital. Investigators believe he fits the description of the shooter, based on the clothing he was wearing and his appearance, Tisch said.
He was taken into custody as part of an unrelated investigation “domestic violence related robbery” and investigators are working to see if he’s connected to the shooting.
The second suspect, believed to be the moped’s driver, was said to be wearing light grey pants and a white t-shirt, with a black surgical mask over his lower face.
“He was last seen fleeing toward the Marcy Houses,” Tisch said.
“Right now, he is the subject of a massive NYPD manhunt, and all New York City police officers have a very clear picture of this out-standing suspect on their phones,” Tisch added.
Bloodhounds were also involved in the search
Mamdani expresses heartbreak
Mayor Mamdani expressed heartbreak for the family and said this type of violence has no place in the five boroughs. In a post on X, he called the child’s death an “unthinkable loss.”
“There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling now, no declaration strong enough to lift the grief they are now forced to carry, no embrace wide enough to heal the hole that has been left in their lives,” Mamdani was quoted by CBS news as saying.
He reportedly added, “That sorrow is only deepened by the fact that is not the first family in our city to know this pain. Too many children have never grown up into becoming adults. Too many parents have had to bury those that they love the most.
“We cannot accept this as normal in our city. We cannot grow numb to this pain. And today is a devastating reminder of just how much more work there is to be done to combat gun violence across the city,” Mamdani said.
