2 men fatally shot on Brooklyn playground, police say

Two men were shot and killed on a Brooklyn playground late Friday night, police say.

It happened just before 10:30 p.m. inside Howard Playground near Mother Gaston Boulevard and Glenmore Avenue in Brownsville.

Police say one man was found with a gunshot wound to the neck and another had gunshot wounds to the chest and ankle.

Both were taken to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

Police say the suspected gunman ran away after the shooting. No arrests have been made at this time, and it's unclear what led up to the shooting.

The victims have been identified as Deon Miller, 33, and Antoine Utsey, 35.

"They were fathers. They had kids and everything, so it's just sad when you hear of stuff like this," said one neighbor who told CBS News New York he grew up with the victims. "It's just shocking. It's shocking."

The 73rd police precinct, which includes Brownsville, reports a nearly 18% drop in shooting victims and a more than 21% drop in shooting incidents compared to the same time last year, but a nearly 70% increase in murders. There have been five murders so far this year, as opposed to three at the same time last year.

One neighbor said the area needs more community spaces.