2 People Shot In Line At Brooklyn Seafood Restaurant, Amid Growing Concerns About Gun Violence
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There are growing concerns about gun violence in New York City after several people were shot over the past few days.
A man and woman were wounded Monday waiting in line at Pitkin Seafood restaurant in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Exclusive surveillance video shows the moment chaos broke out. Innocent bystanders run and duck for cover, as bullets leave holes in the front of the building.
"Guy is coming from left side and shoots over there," one witness told Dias.
The witness, who works in the area, told CBS2's John Dias he and his customers took cover in the back of his store after hearing at least five rounds.
"Lady screaming over there across the street," he told Dias. "Everybody stay here. This police is coming. Everybody go outside."
Police said a 53-year-old woman and 28-year-old man were standing in line when a suspect started shooting from outside the restaurant.
The woman was grazed on the arm, and the man was hit in the foot. Both are expected to be OK.
"That's amazing, that's crazy," one person in the area said.
Neighbors told Dias they believe the shooter was aiming for someone else.
"There's a lot of beef going on over here, with a lot of gangs," said another person. "New York is, Brooklyn, period, is just on a different level. Gang stuff is just on a different level."
The NYPD continues to grapple with the ongoing gun violence spiking across the board.
Also Monday in East Harlem, police said a man in his 30s was killed near East 118th Street and First Avenue. The gunman was arrested.
The search continues for a man wanted for reckless endangerment after firing two rounds into a Jackson Heights apartment building Sunday. No one was injured in that incident.
Compared to last year, this week shooting incidents are up almost 82% and shooting victims a little over 109%
That includes a deadly weekend in the city, where police responded to at least 13 shootings with 20 victims.
One of them was a Queens mother of two. Another was 17-year-old Bryan Sanon, who was walking with friends near his Canarsie home when a gunman jumped out of a gray sedan and started firing.
"To know that I will never see my baby again... he was just a baby," his mother told CBS2. "Life is so precious. It's too short to be living like this."
On Monday, the mayor and public advocate announced a new pilot program to pair youth at-risk for gun violence with mentors. They then work together to set goals, like getting a GED, with a monetary reward if the child succeeds.
"We know it's not enough to just react to violence. We need to advance peace," said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
The program is based off "evidence-based models," according to Williams, and it's set to launch this July in each borough.
