Good Shepherd Services — a New York City-based organization that operates community programs in struggling neighborhoods — will host a rally at St. James Park tonight at 6 p.m. to bring neighbors together to denounce the tragic shooting of four people, including two children ages 3 and 6, at the same park on Tuesday.
It’s part of Good Shepherd’s anti-gun violence program, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) — which aims to deploy violence interrupters who prevent at-risk youth from engaging in retaliatory violence, intervene in potentially fatal situations, and engage community stakeholders to combat gun violence. B.R.A.G. operates within the 46th, 47th, and 52nd NYPD precincts, comprising the Bronx sections of Fordham, University Heights, Mount Hope, Williamsbridge, Wakefield and Edenwald.
Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, the NYPD said two people on an illegal scooter were driving by St. James Park when the person on the back of the scooter allegedly pointed a gun inside of the park at a large crowd and began firing.
The two children suffered gunshot wounds to their right calves, the NYPD confirmed. Police said a third victim, a 23-year-old man, was shot in the left thigh, while that victim’s cousin, a 25-year-old man, took a bullet to his back.
After the violence, authorities reported the two suspects fled on the scooter along East 193rd Street eastbound, before heading southbound on Creston Avenue. As of Wednesday, cops hadn’t ascertained a motive for the drive-by shooting or made any arrests.
RSVP to the rally at GoodShepherd@skdknick.com.
— Robert Pozarycki contributed to this report
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
