Lashawn McNeil, suspect in deadly Harlem police shooting, dies
Lashawn McNeil, the man accused of shooting two New York City Police Department officers, killing one and leaving the other in critical condition, has died from his police-inflicted wounds, NYPD confirmed to CBS News on Monday. McNeil, 47, had been hospitalized since his Friday encounter with police, during which he was shot in head and arm as he tried to flee.
Police on Friday responded to a call from McNeil's mother, who told officers she was in a dispute with her son. When officers arrived at the Harlem residence, McNeil's mother told them McNeil was in a bedroom at the end of a hallway. As officers made their way towards the room, McNeil opened the door and opened fire, police said. Officer Jason Rivera, 22, was shot and killed and officer Wilbert Mora, 27, was wounded. As of Monday, Mora remained hospitalized in grave condition, CBS New York reports.
A Glock 45, which police say was stolen in Baltimore in 2017, with a high-capacity magazine was recovered at the scene.
The shooting, which New York City Mayor Eric Adams called "an attack on the city of New York," marked the fifth time an NYPD officer had been shot in January.
Following the shooting, several New York politicians announced plans and policies targeting illegal gun practices. Adams announced Sunday he plans to reinstitute anti-gun plainclothes police units, groups that dissolved following backlash surrounding police brutality in 2020.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also announced a new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns focused on taking illegal guns off the street and determining where they are coming from.
"We have a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight the scourge of illegal guns on our streets," Hochul said. "Too many lives have been lost because of illegal firearms that should never have been on our streets. By convening law enforcement officials from across the region, we can share intelligence and strategies that stem the flow of illegal guns and keep New Yorkers safe."
On Saturday, President Joe Biden expressed his support for Rivera, Mora and their familes. "Officers put on the badge and head into harm's way every day," Biden tweeted. "We're grateful to them and their families for their extraordinary sacrifice."
