NYPD: 71-year-old woman killed in Mott Haven double shooting
NEW YORK -- A shooting in the Bronx left a 71-year-old woman dead and sent a 34-year-old woman to the hospital on Thursday.
It happened on East 138th Street and Brook Avenue in the Mott Haven section just before 1 p.m.
According to police, two men got into a dispute, and one man took out a gun and started firing multiple times at the other man.
"Those bullets struck two innocent people standing out on the street," NYPD Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurly said.
At the time, a Con Edison crew was on the street working and people were going about their day.
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Police say a 71-year-old woman was shot in the back and immediately collapsed. She has been identified as Enriqueta Rivera, of the Bronx.
Surveillance video shows the man police say was being targeted run towards 138th Street. The shooter took off in the opposite direction.
A 34-year-old woman who was also caught in the crossfire is now recovering from her injuries.
"I gave her CPR because I'm a nurse at Lincoln Hospital," a witness said.
Many witnesses were too shaken or afraid to speak on camera.
"We heard the shot like four times," another witness said. "It's scary, it's very scary. It's frightening. This could be any of us."
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The shooting happened in the same neighborhood where an 8-year-old boy was shot on Tuesday. Investigators said he was caught in crossfire and expected to survive.
"He was scared to go to sleep at night. I acknowledge that because he felt like it was going to happen again," Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said.
In the 40th Precinct, there have been 21 shootings so far this year compared to 38 the same time last year. Those numbers are also down across New York City.
But those who hear gunshots in their neighborhood say more needs to be done.
"Catch these people and put them in jail," one man said.
Police say there have been three shootings in the South Bronx this week with four victims who were not the intended targets. Police believe two of those shootings may be connected and that they are crew- or gang-related.
There have already been two arrests in the previous shootings, and police are searching for more suspects, including the one from Thursday's shooting.
Gurly says the NYPD will be mobilizing officers to the area.
"You will see an increase in foot posts. You're going to see lights with cars out here, cops standing on posts, cops walking up and down the streets. You'll see our critical response teams, our public safety teams and our neighborhood safety teams. We're going to mobilize cops from the Bronx and outside the Bronx," he said.
Police have been talking to witnesses and gathering surveillance footage from cameras in the neighborhood.
The suspect in Thursday's shooting is described as a man in his 20s wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
