The Fordham Heights community came together to rally against gun violence on Tuesday evening following a shooting that left a 2-year-old boy with serious injuries on Saturday.
Members of Good Shepherd Services, a local youth and family-based organization, as well as participants in its anti-gun violence program, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), held a rally April 2 against gun violence in response to the March 30 shooting that took place in Fordham Heights that resulted in a toddler being hit by a stray bullet. The 2-year-old was last listed in stable condition.
Those who attended the rally — including local residents and community leaders, along with local anti-violence advocates who denounced the shooting — spoke out against the perpetrators of gun violence and senseless shootings, particularly on Bronx streets and public areas where innocent bystanders, particularly children, can be struck by an errant bullet.
Tuesday’s rally was held on the corner of Grand Concourse and East Fordham Road in front of the TD Bank located at 148 E. Fordham Road, which is near the site where the 2-year-old was struck.
“The recent shooting of a child in our community is a heartbreaking wake-up call, highlighting the urgent need to eradicate gun violence in the Bronx,” B.R.A.G. Senior Vice President David Caba said during the rally. “This rally is a powerful demonstration of our shared dedication to creating safer streets and nurturing a community where violence is not accepted.”
Caba added that he and the participants in the B.R.A.G. program were encouraged by the large turnout and declared that “enough is enough” when it comes to gun violence taking place on Bronx streets.
Many in attendance chanted anti-violence phrases such as, “One shot, too many,” while others held up anti-gun violence signs.
The March 30 incident, which took place at around 2 p.m., stemmed from an argument 20-year-old Bronx resident Freddy Flores got into with several individuals. Flores then pulled out a .9mm handgun and fired multiple shots at them, according to authorities. Flores missed his targets, but in doing so struck the young boy who was walking with his mom nearby. One of the stray bullets, hit the toddler in the hip before exiting through his leg.
Following the incident, the toddler, who was about to celebrate his third birthday, was transported to Jacobi Hospital in stable condition. The toddler is expected make a full recovery.
“Nobody should be getting shot — especially a day before their birthday,” a B.R.A.G. member chanted through a megaphone.
Flores has been charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD. Circumstances leading up to the shooting incident are currently under investigation.
The rally concluded with Caba saying “an incident like this must never happen again.”
B.R.A.G. operates within the confines of the NYPD 46th, 47th and 52nd precincts within the borough, which cover the Bronx neighborhoods of Fordham as well as Edenwald, Mount Hope, University Heights, Wakefield and Williamsbridge.
Reach Steven Goodstein at sgoodstein@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260–8326. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
