(USNewsBreak.com) – Violent crime in New York City is, for the most part, trending downward. However, some areas, like Brooklyn, are reportedly seeing an uptick in specific categories, such as shootings. The NYPD said it’s recorded a 64% increase compared to last year. Two children playing in a park became recent victims in the borough.
On the evening of Monday, June 3, two cousins, Ruanna and Empress, ages 9 and 11, were playing in a park near P.S. 178 when shots rang out. The two little girls were apparently caught in the path of bullets. Ruanna received a gunshot wound in her leg, while a shot wounded Empress in the back. The girls’ mothers, who were watching them, took them to Brookdale Hospital for treatment.
The bullet that struck Ruanna went through her leg. Doctors treated and released her from the hospital. Empress is up and walking around the facility, but the bullet remains lodged inside her back. It’s unclear whether she will undergo surgery to remove it.
Police are still, as of the time of writing, looking for at least two suspects who fired into the park. Multiple casings types led them to the conclusion that more than one shooter participated. While the area is a ShotSpotter zone, an acoustic technology that police are using to detect gunfire before someone reports it, the technology wasn’t active at the time of the shooting.
Authorities said they don’t believe the girls were the intended target. They are considering that the shooting might have been gang-related, but so far, they do not have any solid motive.
The girls’ mothers have spoken out about the event, grateful that they do not have to plan funerals but disappointed with the shooters’ behavior. They called on the suspects to do better and stop “ruining lives.” They were seeking justice and urged the shooters to turn themselves in and own up to their actions.
Copyright 2024, USNewsBreak.com
