NYPD: 13-Year-Old Killed In Gang-Related Shooting In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teenager was killed in a gang-related shooting in the Bronx on Sunday, police say.
It happened around 3:15 p.m. on East 187th Street near Prospect Avenue in the Belmont section.
Luis Mercado heard the shots as the gunman opened fire in front of a café, killing a 13-year-old boy.
"When the third one came, I hit the floor, and I didn't get up until it was over, and then ... I called 911," Mercado told CBS2's Cory James.
Police say the victim was shot in the chest and leg. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said on Twitter that the shooting was gang-related and the 13-year-old was the intended target.
No arrests have been made at this time, and police have not released any description of possible suspects. The investigation is ongoing.
Around the same time, but over in Brooklyn near Pitkin Avenue, police say a 16-year-old survived getting shot in the thigh.
The NYPD's latest shooting number say as of July 10, there have been 795 shooting incidents and 920 victims.
This time last year, there were 612 incidents and 750 victims.
"We need the anti-crime units back," community activist Sidney Flores said.
Flores was out putting Crime Stoppers flyers up at the scene of the latest shooting, encouraging people to speak up. He says it is a small step in solving a bigger problem.
"We should be throwing away the keys on gun violence repeat offenders. Throw away the keys on these people. They should not be let out on the street anymore," he said.
There was another shooting in Queens near Quencer Road. Police say that's where a 19-year-old man was shot and killed.
